Protected Chilean sea lions are the 'enemy' of fishermen

December 22, 2018 by Miguel Sanchez

Chilean fishermen have branded sea lions "a plague" because of the competition they provide in catching fish

Off the coast of Chile, fisherman face competition from a cunning carnivorous hunter that has decimated their industry due to its voracious appetite.

For Chile's fishermen, sea lions are a "plague."

"They're an enemy!" complained Mario Rojas to AFP. "We try to make them go away but it's impossible!"

Part of the wider seal family that was once hunted mercilessly all over the world, leaving some populations close to extinction, the South American sea lion in Chile has been protected for the last 28 years.

Hunting them for their richly prized fur is illegal.

Liberated from their most dangerous predator—they are still prey for sharks and orcas—the sea mammal's population has been on the rise, helped in no small part by the abundant fodder they manage to steal from fisherman.

They have learnt to distinguish the sound of the fishing boats' motors, allowing them to follow the vessels as they head out to sea.

"The sea lions don't hunt anymore. They hear the noise of a boat and they know that the food is there," said Rojas.

With their sharp teeth and the enormous power in bodies that can weigh around 650 pounds (300 kilograms), they manage to destroy the fishing nets and gobble up the treats inside.

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Dangerous protected reptiles

Date:  June 27, 2018

Source:  University of Freiburg

Summary:

Attacks by crocodiles have been rising in South East Asia since they became protected animals, a study finds.

The south-east Asian island state of East Timor has a problem with crocodiles. Between 2007 and 2014 there was a sharp increase in attacks on humans. Many of these attacks were fatal. Sebastian Brackhane, a research assistant in the Department of Remote Sensing and Landscape Information Systems of the University of Freiburg, has analyzed data on crocodile attacks in relation to a rise in the population of estuarine crocodiles in East Timor. The results of his field study have been published in the Journal of Wildlife Management.

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Protected wildlife allegedly killed on Peak District shooting estate

 Police investigate after animal rights group films badgers allegedly being caught in snares and shot on the Moscar estate

Hunt Investigation Team’s film footage on the Moscar estate, a grouse-shooting estate in the Peak District.

Josh Halliday  North of England correspondent

Tuesday 11 July 2017 13.29 BSTLast modified on Tuesday 11 July 2017 22.00 BST

Police are investigating allegations that protected wildlife was killed on a shooting estate owned by the Duke and Duchess of Rutland.

Footage filmed by an animal rights group allegedly showed badgers caught in snares and shot this year.

The Hunt Investigation Team (HIT) , which filmed the footage, said it was part of “horrific wildlife persecution” on the Moscar estate, a grouse shooting estate in the Peak District.

It is a criminal offence to injure, kill or ill-treat badgers under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 in England and Wales.

The Moscar estate, near Bamford in Derbyshire, is owned by the 11th Duke of Rutland, David Manners, and Emma Manners, the Duchess of Rutland.

The pair, worth a reported £140m, also own the 6,000-hectare (15,000-acre) Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire, a stronghold established at the Norman conquest that has appeared in films including The Da Vinci Code and The Young Victoria.

A spokesman for the Duke and Duchess of Rutland said in a statement: “They were not aware of any alleged illegal activities being carried out on the land. They are horrified by these allegations and will investigate them fully.”

HIT said an estimated 400 wire snares were set across the estate alongside a variety of traps to catch mammals and birds.

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Japan criticised after whale slaughtered in Australian waters

Australia’s environment minister says government ‘deeply disappointed’ after Sea Shepherd photos show minke whale killing in Antarctic sanctuary

Michael Slezak

Monday 16 January 2017 08.35 GMT

Australia’s federal environment minister, Josh Frydenberg, has criticised Japan following the release of photographs allegedly showing the slaughtering of protected whales inside Australia’s Antarctic whale sanctuary. 

Frydenberg’s statement came as conservationists called for tougher action from Australia.

“The Australian government is deeply disappointed that Japan has decided to return to the Southern Ocean this summer to undertake so-called ‘scientific’ whaling,” Frydenberg said.

 “Australia is opposed to all forms of commercial and so-called ‘scientific’ whaling,” he said. “It is not necessary to kill whales in order to study them.”

The photographs, taken by Sea Shepherd activists from a helicopter, appear to show a dead minke on the deck of the Japanese whaler Nisshin Maru at 11.34am on Sunday.

After the Japanese crew saw the Sea Shepherd helicopter, they covered the harpoons and attempted to hide the whale carcass with a tarpaulin, according to Sea Shepherd.

The images emerged on Sunday afternoon while the Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, was in Australia on a state visit.

The slaughter was the first documented killing since the international court of justice ruled Japan’s Antarctic whaling illegal in 2014. So far the Australian government has resisted calls to send official vessels to patrol its waters and intervene in illegal whaling.

But Frydenberg said no country has done more than Australia to try to end whaling.

Read on  

Six arrested in Spain on charges of illegal fishing of protected species

Five members of Spain’s Vidal family of fishing barons are among those held on charges of illegally catching Patagonian toothfish, in joint raids by Spanish police and Interpol

Stephen Burgen, Barcelona

Wednesday 9 March 2016 13.58 GMTLast modified on Thursday 10 March 201609.24 GMT

Six people have been arrested on charges of illegal fishing of protected species in raids carried out jointly by Interpol and Spanish police in Galicia in northwest Spain.

The six include five members of the Vidal family who run Ribeiro Vidal Armadores, among them Antonio Vidal, the owner, and three of his children who are accused of illegally fishing Patagonian toothfish in Antarctic waters.

The fish, which is rich in allegedly health-enhancing Omega-3 fatty acids, is known as “white gold” in the industry as it can sell for as much as €130 (£100) a kilo. A large catch can be worth as much as €50m so poachers are willing to risk being fined for illegal fishing.

The Vidal family, which has a previous record of illegal fishing, has a factory in the town of Boiro which for several years has been manufacturing products based on Omega-3. The factory was one of three premises searched during the raids and the presence of both Interpol and Europol agents suggests the investigation is international in scope and further arrests may follow.

 “This is the first time that the Spanish Civil Guard, Interpol and Europol have joined forces against illegal fishing in a joint action,” said Lasse Gustavsson, executive director of the NGO Oceana in Europe. “This announcement is a watershed in the fight to eradicate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing of our oceans.”

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Nature notes: Where have our newts gone?

Once a common sight throughout Britain, the great crested newt has now been listed as a protected species in the UK due to their gradual demise

Great crested newt Photo: Alamy

By Hana Carter

6:53PM BST 10 Sep 2015

The great crested newt has been made a protected species in the UK and Europe after a loss of habitat has led to a gradual disappearance of a once common amphibian.

According to Freshwater Habitats Trust, there were around one million ponds in the UK a century ago. That figure has dropped to approximately 478,000.

Ponds are ideal breeding grounds, but over the years have been replaced with piped water supply and livestock drinking troughs. The newt’s land habitat, patches of grassland and woodland, are also in decline due to development and habitat fragmentation.

The trust is embarking on an environmental study to reveal how many newts there are in the UK. Researchers will test the DNA in the water to monitor the freshwater species that live there to develop their work to protect the newt.

Source...

The big business of trophy hunting in Iran

By Siavash Ardalan

BBC Persian

11 August 2015 

The furore over the killing by a US dentist of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe has thrown a spotlight on trophy hunting - but while Africa is commonly associated with the sport, American enthusiasts are finding another popular hunting destination - the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Every year, Iran's Environment Protection Agency issues about 500 licences to foreign visitors to hunt rare and protected breeds.

Many of these hunters come from the US, despite the absence of diplomatic relations and a state of tension between the two countries for the past 35 years.

They have been heading there since the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac) made it legal for US agencies to book hunting tours to Iran more than a decade ago.

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Berlin lizards impede Lenin's resurrection

Lenin has lain in a sandpit at the southeastern edge of Berlin since 1991 when the city, desperate to rid itself of the painful reminders of its division, cut the 19-meter (62-foot) statue into more than a hundred pieces and buried them.

Now, after administrative battles with reluctant authorities and grumbling from Berliners who thought they had got rid of the old communist forever, a museum plans to resurrect the 3.5-ton, 1.70-meter head this summer for a planned museum of disgraced monuments from the city's tumultuous history.

There's just one little problem left to solve before it can finally glimpse the light of day: lizards. Sand lizards, to be precise, strictly protected by European wildlife conservation rules.

Approaching the site with the crane, bulldozers and truck that will be needed to shift Lenin would disturb the striped creatures just as they're getting ready for the mating season, during which they turn green. So they must be encouraged to move away before the exhumation can commence. That's the law.

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165 critically endangered geckos seized at Heathrow

Posted on March 25, 2015 by Kevin Heath

Border Force officers have intercepted an attempt to import 165 critically endangered turquoise dwarf geckos from Tanzania. The geckos was found last month within a larger consignment containing other species such as chameleons, scorpions and frogs.

Turquoise dwarf geckos are critically endangered and are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). They are currently only found in two locations in Tanzania.

After the seizure the case was passed to the National Crime Agency’s Border Policing Command. After investigations they arrested a man in Swindon on Friday 20th March. The 41-year-old is currently on police bail as investigations continue.

Grant Miller, head of the Border Force CITES team, said, “This was a highly significant seizure. This particular species of gecko is incredibly rare and there are strict laws against its capture in Tanzania.

“The movement of endangered species is part of an illicit and often cruel trade that Border Force, together with other agencies, is rigorously determined to stop.”

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Zimbabwean jailed for nine years for eating python meat

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - A Zimbabwean man has been jailed for nine years for eating python, a protected species, a Zimbabwean daily reported on Friday.

Archwell Maramba said he had been eating the snake meat for its medicinal value.

"I wanted to eat the python to cure my spine and since I ate my first python I have seen remarkable improvement," NewsDay quoted Maramba as saying during his court case.

Acting on a tipoff, police found the 58-year-old drying snakeskin and python meat stashed in his house.

(Reporting by Helen Nyambura-Mwaura; Editing by Andrew Roche)

Source .

'Swamp Brother' gets year in prison for smuggling protected snakes from Pa., N.J. and N.Y. - Herp Digest

By Jeremy Roebuck, The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS)

'Swamp Brother' gets year in prison for smuggling snakes from Pa., N.J. and N.Y.

A pair of Florida rattlesnake rustlers are headed to federal prison for illegally smuggling snakes, prosecutors said Monday - and yes, some of them were on a plane.

Robert Keszey, a star of the erstwhile Discovery Channel show Swamp Brothers, was sentenced Friday to a year behind bars for trafficking in protected snakes captured in the wilds of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. His business partner, Robroy MacInnes, received 18 months in prison at a hearing before U.S. District Judge Juan R. Sanchez.

The men co-owned Glades Herp Farm, a five-acre Tampa ranch that doubled as home base to one of the largest mail-order reptile retailers in the United States. It was there that Keszey based his cable show.

But even as they held themselves out as conservationists, prosecutors said, Keszey, 48, and MacInnes, 55, arranged for the capture and shipment of dozens of endangered snakes, hoping to sell them domestically and abroad.

At the men's trial last year, witnesses detailed a 2008 sale involving 20 EasternTimber rattlers they hoped to sell in Germany - a market where buyers, in the words of one witness, "go nuts" for North American species and pay up to $800 for a single snake.

Keszey and MacInnes later sent a pair of nonvenomous Eastern Indigo snakes from Florida to a contact in Sellersville for domestic sale. U.S. Fish and Wildlife agents estimate that the species can fetch as much as $1,000 a piece at reptile shows such as the annual one in Hammond, Pa.

The Timber, a species of venomous pit viper native to the Eastern seaboard, is a federallyprotected species. The Indigo, the longest native North American snake species, is listed as threatened under federal law.

Despite their convictions, Keszey and MacInnes maintain their innocence, saying they fell victim to a onetime business associate turned government witness named Loren Zuck, whom they describe as - well, a snake.

Zuck worked as Glades Herp Farm's representative at snake sales such as the Hammond show and was never charged in the case.

But when federal agents turned their attention toward the business, a panicked Zuck took two adult Timber snakes he had on hand and froze them to death. He flushed several baby snakes down the toilet, lawyers for the farm's co-owners alleged in recent court filings.

"This case . . . does not involve the injury, killing or inhumane treatment of a single animal on . . . anyone's part," wrote Keszey's lawyer Felicia Sarner, "except for the government's principal witness, Loren Zuck, who callously killed numerous snakes to save himself."

Zuck did not respond to requests for comment Monday. Prosecutors say MacInnes did his best to make sure Zuck kept his mouth shut.

In a conversation between the men that was quoted in court filings, MacInnes urged Zuck to lie to authorities about their snake dealing. And even if Zuck were to be charged, MacInnes said at the time, he was unlikely to face a hefty sentence. "It's just snakes," MacInnes is quoted saying. "The judge, who deals with rapists and murders and stuff - the judge is going to say, 'F- snakes. I mean, what are we talking about here?' "

MacInnes' own stint before Sanchez on Friday may have changed his mind.

In addition to their prison terms, Sanchez also ordered MacInnes to pay a $4,000 fine and Keszey to pay $2,000.

Giant saltwater crocodile kills Australia fisherman

19 August 2014 Last updated at 03:44

A man has been killed by a giant saltwater crocodile as he was fishing with his wife in northern Australia.

The man, 57, was attacked by the 4.5-metre (15ft) reptile as he waded into the Adelaide River to unsnag his line, south of Darwin.

His wife heard a scream and turned around only to see "a tail splashing in the water", officials said.

The body was found a few hours later, and the crocodile was shot dead by the police.

The man - whose name has not been released - is the fourth person to be killed by a crocodile in Australia's Northern Territory this year.

The attack took place in a stretch of the river close to where cruise ships show sightseers crocodiles leaping from the water to snatch chicken carcasses suspended from poles.

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Scarborough Sea Cut crayfish moved for weir repairs

30 June 2014 Last updated at 16:26

A colony of about 100 protected native crayfish is to be moved from a canal to allow the water to be drained during repairs to a nearby weir.

The Environment Agency is moving the native crayfish and fish from the Sea Cut, near Scarborough, North Yorkshire.

Part of the cut, built after a flood in 1799, is to be drained before repairing cracks in Lower Newby weir.

Trout, eels and the endangered white-clawed crayfish are to be returned in August after repairs are finished.

Cages are to be used to catch the crayfish before electricity is used to stun the fish for collection, the agency said.

White-clawed crayfish are Britain's only native freshwater crayfish and are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-28091368

Protected Dusky Sharks Decimated by Fishing (Op-Ed)

Amanda Keledjian, Oceana | April 22, 2014 11:44am ET

Amanda Keledjian is a marine scientist at Oceana, the largest international conservation organization working solely to protect the world's oceans. She contributed this article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

With upwards of 100 million sharks killed around the world every year, it's no surprise that their numbers have plummeted. In fact, a quarter of the world's shark and ray species are threatened with extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

One species of concern is the dusky shark, a wide-ranging species commonly found along continental coastlines in tropical and temperate waters. Dusky sharks can grow to be 14 feet (4 meters) long, and mainly feed on bony fish, squid, and other sharks and rays. Several characteristics make this species of shark particularly vulnerable to over-exploitation, including the fact that dusky sharks do not give birth to many pups each year. The dusky shark also takes 20 years to reach maturity, making it one of the slowest growing of known sharks.

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Taming of the shrew: Bicolored shrew a health risk for horses

Date:

April 11, 2014

Source:

Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien

Summary:

The bicolored shrew is a protected species in Central Europe, but these furry insect-eaters have a dark secret. Researchers have discovered that bicolored shrews carry the Borna virus. Infection with this virus causes fatal encephalitis in horses. The mechanisms of transmission had until now been unclear, but we now know more about one route - from bicolored shrews to hosts.

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Indonesia's new protection law for manta rays

February 2014: The giant and reef manta rays have been declared a protected species under Indonesian law by the country’s Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Minister.

This new law represents a major advancement in efforts to conserve manta rays, which in 2013 were added to the list of species regulated under of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).

As of September 2014, all 178 CITES member countries will need to control trade and implement other CITES trade rules for these and several heavily traded shark species so as to ensure that international trade is not a threat to their survival.

“By fully protecting these fishes, the Government of Indonesia has demonstrated its commitment to these new CITES rules while offering real hope for these species’ future in Indonesia and beyond.” said Dr. Stuart Campbell, Director of WCS’s Indonesian Marine Conservation and Fisheries Program.

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Almost 500 protected turtles found in Thai airport bags, over 1,000 creatures found in a week - via Herp Digest

11/9/13 AFP- Thai customs have seized a haul of 470 protected turtles and tortoises in airport luggage, making it a total of over 1,000 creatures found in the country's airports in a week.

Officials at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport say a 25-year-old Pakistani man has been arrested on suspicion of wildlife trafficking after four suitcases on a flight from Lahore were found to contain protected black pond turtles.

Chris Shepherd of wildlife trade protection group Traffic says there has been a surge in smuggling for the pet trade in South Asia.

"It does seem that the number of turtles and tortoises coming out of South Asia is skyrocketing, especially with regards to the black pond turtle," he said.

Mr Shepherd says Thailand is a "globally significant trade hub" for turtles and tortoises, and authorities should do more to find and prosecute high level smugglers.

"Few, if any, significant traders or kingpins in the tortoise and turtle racket have been penalised," he said.

The discovery came after authorities found 423 protected tortoises and 52 black pond turtles stashed in unclaimed bags on a carousel on Wednesday after arriving on a flight from Bangladesh.

On Sunday, customs at the same airport found 80 protected turtles on luggage also from Bangladesh.

International trade of the rare black pond turtle, which originates in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Nepal, is forbidden.

AZG&F reminds public to not take Box Turtles from the wild – via Herp Digest

The box turtle is a protected species, that if taken from the wild can never be returned, as it will die.

Posted: Wednesday, October 2, 2013 12:00 pm

Mark Hart Arizona Game and Fish |

An increase in box turtle observation reports by citizen-scientists in southeastern Arizona has led the state Game and Fish Department to issue a reminder that it is illegal to collect box turtles from the wild, even if they are only kept in captivity for a short time.

Only those box turtles held legally prior to January 1, 2005 is allowed, said Regional Supervisor Raul Vega of Game and Fish in Tucson. 

“Keep wild turtles wild. Do not collect a box turtle if you encounter one in the wild,” Vega said. “By bringing it home you are dooming it to a life in captivity, because a captive turtle can never be released back into the wild.”

  Vega noted that removing a box turtle from the wild can severely affect local populations because turtles grow  and reproduce slowly. Captive turtles released into the wild can severely jeopardize local wild turtle populations through the introduction of diseases and parasites, and can displace individuals or populations of wild box turtles by competing for resources, he added.

 “Watch and enjoy box turtles, but avoid contact.  If you observe an ornate box turtle in the wild, it is best to let it continue on its way. Do not disturb it by picking it up,” Vega said. “The one exception to this rule is if a turtle is in harm’s way trying to cross a road. If it is safe to do so, gently lift the turtle just high enough so its feet are just above the ground and transport it across the road in the direction it was heading.”

Game and Fish also suggests:

•Become a citizen scientist - participate in the Ornate Box Turtle Watch. The ornate box turtle is thought to be in decline in Arizona. Help the Arizona Game and Fish Department monitor this species by reporting any observations of wild box turtles in Arizona. Find out about the program at: http://www.azgfd.gov/w_c/boxturtlewatch.shtml.

• Participate in the Sponsor-a-Turtle program. The Arizona Game and Fish Department Turtles Project utilizes technical equipment such as radio-telemetry tags, GPS units, and hoop traps to survey and monitor turtle populations statewide. By donating to the Turtles Project, you will help project biologists purchase this gear so that they may continue to plan and implement conservation and management. For more information, see: http://www.azgfd.gov/w_c/documents/Sponsor-A-TurtleProgrambrochureFinal.pdf

• Practice responsible Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) use. Ornate box turtle habitat in Arizona is limited and is sensitive to degradation.  Using OHVs in unauthorized areas can result in loss and destruction of habitat through the degradation of native vegetation, spread of invasive plant species, and soil erosion. Please stay on roads and trails, and do not trample vegetation.

• If you have a captive ornate box turtle from Arizona that you can no longer care for, contact Game and Fish in Tucson at 520-628-5376.