Mangroves hold promise for medicinal use
Times of India "Materials from different mangrove species can treat toothache, sore throat, constipation, fungal infections, bleeding, fever, kidney stone, rheumatism, dysentery and malaria," A G Untawale, a former national institute of oceanography (NIO) scientist ... |
Newsday |
Suffolk tests Peconic Estuary site after massive fish kill
Newsday Suffolk County collected water samples Sunday in the Peconic Estuary where tens of thousands of dead fish still lined the shore after a massive die-off. "The county health department notified the nearest bathing beach and will be doing sampling of the ... Marine research scientist: 'Mahogany tide' algal bloom caused fish kill in ...RiverheadLOCAL Thousands of dead bunker fish wash up in Peconic Estuary on eastern Long IslandGreenfield Daily Reporter Riverhead Town scrambling to fix 'critical' situation as fish die offSuffolk Times East End Beacon all 18 news articles » |
Northland death: Car lands upside down in mangroves
TVNZ A man has died in a crash in Northland, taking the Queen's Birthday weekend road toll to three. A car left the road at a causeway near Mangawhai Beach School on Insley Street and landed upside down in some mangroves, about 12.40am today, police say. and more » |
InterAksyon |
FOCUS | The Philippines must save its mangroves, and Sri Lanka offers some ...
InterAksyon Apart from serving as buffer against storm surges and tsunamis, the mangroves' root systems serve as nurseries for many species of fish that go on to populate coral reefs. They also sequester three to five times more carbon per equivalent area than ... and more » |
Volunteers are now present in Honduras and Costa Rica; campaign begins in Florida in July
Upon emerging from its nest, a baby sea turtle hatchling heads to the sea
Photo: Sea ShepherdMay 31st, the two-year anniversary of the murder of Costa Rican sea turtle conservationist Jairo Mora Sandoval, marks the official start of Operation Jairo, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s summer 2015 Sea Turtle Defense Campaign!
Sea Shepherd volunteers from around the world will be working in Honduras and Costa Rica to ensure that nesting sea turtles and their hatchlings make it safely to the sea.
In Honduras, Sea Shepherd will protect three endangered species of sea turtles – hawksbill, green and loggerhead – as we did in 2014. Sea turtles are protected by law in both Honduras and Costa Rica, but continue to face the ever-present threat of poachers in search of nesting turtles to kill for their meat and to steal their eggs for sale on the black market.
Meeting with Sea Shepherd Campaign Coordinator, David Hance, in Honduras last year, Utila Mayor Troy Bodden vowed to arrest and fully prosecute anyone in violation of the turtle protection laws and has pledged his 100 percent support of Sea Shepherd and its efforts.
Sea Shepherd returns to Costa Rica following 2014’s highly successful Operation Pacuare, which saved the lives of nearly 3,000 sea turtles! This year, Sea Shepherd volunteers will once again conduct patrols on Pacuare Beach in Costa Rica’s Limón province to protect hawksbill, green and leatherback sea turtles, but for the first time will also have a presence at Moin Beach, the site of the tragic murder of sea turtle conservationist Jairo Mora Sandoval on this very date in May of 2013. Jairo was widely believed to be killed by poachers. Sea Shepherd has named the Operation Jairo campaign in his honor, and will continue his important work to protect the endangered sea turtles he loved so dearly.
In mid-July, Operation Jairo will launch in southeastern Florida’s Broward County, another region critical to nesting sea turtles and their vulnerable hatchlings. However, while poaching is not a threat to turtles on Florida’s shores, commercial lighting is a vexing problem. Light may not seem like it could be a serious threat, but to newly hatched turtles it presents a disorientation danger, often causing the hatchlings to head away from the sea and further inland where they are at high risk of dying from dehydration or being crushed by traffic on busy roadways. Sea Shepherd will be working with the local grassroots non-profit Sea Turtle Oversight Protection (S.T.O.P.) not only to protect nests along the beaches and guide nesting turtles and hatchlings away from the light and toward the sea, but to ensure that municipalities are adhering to and enforcing crucial lighting ordinances.
GET INVOLVED: Sea Shepherd is seeking Operation Jairo volunteers for June and early July in Costa Rica. Please consider joining us to protect endangered sea turtles! With six of seven species on the brink of extinction, sea turtles need you on the beaches and on their side!
“With Operation Jairo, volunteers will get to see direct results of their work to protect these fragile endangered species from extinction. Each sea turtle hatchling safely escorted to the water is a life saved, and the more volunteers we have along the beaches, the more turtles that will be given this fighting chance at survival,” said Sea Shepherd Campaign Coordinator, David Hance.
If you are at least 18 years of age and are able to commit to participating in the campaign for one week or longer in Costa Rica, please visit our Ground Crew page for full details, a campaign schedule and to submit your application: http://ift.tt/1Gc5VnB.
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Naples Daily News |
Stock's Neapolitan model opens in The Estuary at Grey Oaks
Naples Daily News Stock Signature Homes announced its designer-decorated Neapolitan estate model is now open and available for viewing and purchase at 1213 Gordon River Trail in The Estuary at Grey Oaks. Designed by Stofft Cooney Architects, the Neapolitan's ... and more » |
A lesson from Sri Lanka on saving mangroves
ABS CBN News Apart from serving as buffer against storm surges and tsunamis, the mangroves' root systems serve as nurseries for many species of fish that go on to populate coral reefs. They also sequester three to five times more carbon per equivalent area than ... |
Newsday |
Marine research scientist: 'Mahogany tide' algal bloom caused fish kill in ...
RiverheadLOCAL A fish kill of major proportions is underway in the Peconic Estuary and as marine researchers are sampling the water for further study, town officials are working to prevent it from becoming a public health hazard. Tens of thousands of fish in the bays ... Riverhead Town scrambling to fix 'critical' situation as fish die offSuffolk Times Thousands Of Dead Bunker Fish Wash Ashore On Eastern Long IslandCBS Local Massive fish kill reported in Riverhead; fishermen sought for volunteer cleanupNewsday Glens Falls Post-Star all 10 news articles » |
CBS Local |
Thousands of dead bunker fish wash up in Peconic Estuary on eastern Long Island
Daily Journal RIVERHEAD, New York — Officials on eastern Long Island are calling on local fishermen to help clean up thousands of dead and dying bunker fish that have washed ashore in the Peconic Estuary. Riverhead Town Supervisor Sean Walter tells Newsday ... Marine research scientist: 'Mahogany tide' algal bloom caused fish kill in ...RiverheadLOCAL Riverhead Town scrambling to fix 'critical' situation as fish die offRiverhead News Review Thousands Of Dead Bunker Fish Wash Ashore On Eastern Long IslandCBS Local Newsday all 5 news articles » |
Bradenton Herald |
Tampa, Sarasota estuaries enjoy tremendous rebound in seagrass
Bradenton Herald This month's report on Tampa Bay's estuary, which covers 400 square miles from the spring-fed headwaters of the Hillsborough River to the salty waters off Anna Maria Island, shows an increase of 5,650 acres of seagrass for a grand total of 40,294 ... |
Exeter Express and Echo |
Cyclists gear up for Exe Estuary night ride
Exeter Express and Echo Feel the wind in your hair with the Sustrans - as bike riding charity volunteers lead an evening ride around the scenic Exe Estuary. The twinkling fairy-light adorned bike-train is set to depart from Exeter Cathedral on the evening of June 6th. One set ... |
Hindustan Times |
Mumbai: 530 huts encroaching upon mangroves cleared as part of pre-monsoon ...
Hindustan Times More than 500 huts at Cuffe Parade, Colaba and Cheeta Camp in Trombay were demolished on Thursday as part of a drive by the state mangrove cell, which plans to clear encroachments from nine mangrove areas before the monsoon begins. |
Jannah Eastern Mangroves Suites Claims TripAdvisor Excellence Award
Zawya (registration) Eastern Mangroves Suites by Jannah has recently received the 2015 TripAdvisor Certificate Of Excellence for simply achieving outstanding traveler reviews on hospitality, accommodations, restaurants and attractions. The world's largest travel site ... |
Corps stops Lake Okeechobee releases into St. Lucie Estuary
Palm Beach Post Recent releases of lake water into the estuary and the Caloosahatchee River have been blamed for algae blooms in both waterways. Water samples from the estuary in April revealed toxic blue green algae. However, more recent tests have not detected toxic ... Lake O discharges to stop FridayTCPalm all 7 news articles » |
Sonoma County Gazette |
Russian River Jenner Estuary Project UPDATE June 11, 2015
Sonoma County Gazette The Sonoma County Water Agency (Water Agency) will hold a community meeting on Thursday, June 11, 2015 to provide updates on the Russian River Estuary Management Project and provide an update on this year's summer river flows. The meeting will ... |
Triple Pundit (registration) (blog) |
Why Sri Lanka's Historic Mangroves Move Matters
Triple Pundit (registration) (blog) Huge news for the environment: Sri Lanka's new government just took the unprecedented, historic step to protect all of its mangroves. The move, the first of its kind anywhere in the world, will provide long-term environmental, social and, last but not ... |
Connacht Tribune Group |
Man made 'nest' sees five cygnets reared in estuary after years of failure
Connacht Tribune Group After the better part of a decade of their nests being washed away, Oranmore has this Spring seen five cygnets born to a set of swans thanks to a man made raft. Peter Butler, who works in GMIT is the man behind the raft, having moved to Oranmore just ... Galway locals use raft to help swans raise cygnetsRTE.ie all 2 news articles » |
Trade Arabia |
Jannah Eastern Mangroves Suites claims excellence award
Trade Arabia Eastern Mangroves Suites by Jannah, a luxury hotel in Abu Dhabi, UAE, recently received the 2015 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for achieving outstanding traveller reviews on hospitality, accommodations, restaurants and attractions. Now in its ... and more » |
A man with a mangrove in hand
The Hindu More than 40 years ago when 'environment protection' was not a catchy slogan, a man living on the Saint Sebastian estuarine island of Ashtamudi Lake here recognised the role of mangroves in marine and brackish water ecology . Even now, at the age of 87 ... |
Comox estuary featured in new book
Comox Valley Record Author Marlet Ashley and illustrator Kate Brown have published a sixth book for children set in the Comox estuary. A Pirate's Life for Gabby, fifth (and final) in their series Revelry on the Estuary and their sixth children's book, is set in the Comox ... |
Moments before a Sea Shepherd crew member is injured by Japanese whalers
Photo: Sea ShepherdSea Shepherd Conservation Society, a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) non-profit marine conservation organization, has filed claims against Japan’s Institute for Cetacean Research (ICR) in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, seeking a declaration that ICR’s whaling in the Southern Ocean near Antarctica is illegal under international law. Sea Shepherd is also asking the court to grant an injunction preventing ICR from continuing its illegal whaling, and to ban it from continuing to use violent and dangerous actions to protect its illegal activities from volunteer activists defending the whales. (The filing is available at: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's Answer and Amended Counterclaims).
These requests are part of the counterclaims that Sea Shepherd – joined by its founder, Paul Watson – filed in response to a lawsuit brought by ICR seeking a permanent injunction to prevent Sea Shepherd from interfering with ICR’s illegal whale hunt. ICR’s lawsuit resulted in a temporary injunction by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that required Sea Shepherd and Watson to stay at least 500 yards away from ICR’s whaling fleet while it is killing whales in the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica. The case is set for trial in fall 2016.
“Sea Shepherd intends to defend the whales in court just as it has done at sea,” said Sea Shepherd attorney Claire Loebs Davis, a partner at Seattle-based Lane Powell PC. “Although Sea Shepherd maintains that the U.S. federal courts do not have the jurisdiction to intervene in disputes occurring on the high seas on the other side of the globe, once the courts are involved, they must take into account that ICR is engaged in activity that is illegal under international law, and is using violent and aggressive measures to protect that illegal activity.”
The request for the injunction against Japanese whaling coincides with the meeting of the International Whaling Commission’s (IWC) scientific committee currently taking place in San Diego, which will consider whether Japan’s latest proposal to continue to kill whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary complies with the IWC’s global moratorium on commercial whaling and its ban on whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.
These whales are a marine species protected by international law and they migrate throughout a whale sanctuary where commercial whaling is prohibited
Photo: Sea Shepherd / Barbara VeigaSince 1987, Japan has authorized ICR to kill whales by issuing it permits for the slaughter under the guise of “scientific research” – although it packages the whale meat and sells it on the commercial market. In recent years, Japan has authorized ICR to kill more than 1,000 minke, humpback, and endangered fin whales annually. However, last year, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that ICR’s “research” had no legitimate scientific basis and amounted to commercial whaling, which is in violation of the global moratorium. In 2008, the Australian Federal Court enjoined the Japanese whalers from killing whales in the Australian Whale Sanctuary, which makes up part of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. Japan and ICR have ignored that injunction.
In the wake of the ICJ decision, Japan has proposed killing nearly 4,000 whales over the next 12 years in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, as part of a new “scientific research” plan. That plan was rejected in February by a 10-person expert panel designated by the IWC’s Scientific Committee, and will be considered by the full Scientific Committee currently meeting in San Diego.
In its counterclaims, Sea Shepherd asked the Court to prohibit future whaling by ICR in the Southern Ocean, on the grounds that its killing of whales violates international law, including by violating the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Whaling Convention, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and the World Charter for Nature. Sea Shepherd’s claim recognizes that the whales themselves – each an individual being with a sense of self, an advanced cognitive capability, and the capacity to experience profound physical and emotional suffering – have a “fundamental interest in their own lives and the lives of their families.” As the exhibits submitted with Sea Shepherd’s counterclaims illustrate, ICR targets families of whales swimming as pods – including mothers and their calves – and kills them using grenade-tipped harpoons and automatic weapons, causing an agonizing death that may take as long as 45 minutes.
“Countries around the world recognize the importance of preserving whale populations that were decimated by commercial whaling before the global moratorium took effect," said Davis. “Yet ICR has continued to kill these whales in violation of international law. Targeted species have included the endangered fin whale —one of the largest species on earth, more than 95% of which were wiped out by commercial whaling. Not only that, but ICR kills these whales using brutal and inhumane methods, and does so in the internationally recognized Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, where they are supposed to have safe haven.”
Sea Shepherd intends to defend the whales in court just as it has done at sea
Photo: Sea Shepherd / Barbara VeigaSea Shepherd also claims that ICR is guilty of piracy for illegally killing and taking whales from the sea for commercial profit, and for engaging in violent actions against Sea Shepherd volunteers – including ramming vessels, hurling stun grenades and grappling hooks, employing bamboo poles as spears, and firing water cannons at vessels and helicopters. In addition to injunctive relief, Sea Shepherd is requesting damages done to its vessels in past years, including for the deliberate ramming and destruction of the Sea Shepherd vessel Ady Gil in 2009.
Additional counterclaims by Sea Shepherd and Watson assert that ICR has violated Sea Shepherd’s right to freedom of safe navigation on the high seas by attacking and causing significant damage to Sea Shepherd vessels and endangering the safety of Sea Shepherd crew, and that ICR has violated the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism by collecting millions of dollars to fund these acts of violence. In 2011, the Japanese government admitted that almost $30 million dollars donated by concerned individuals worldwide to be designated for the tsunami and earthquake victims had been diverted to the whaling industry.
Background:
ICR and the Japanese whaling corporation from which it charters its boats and crew, Kyodo Senpaku, first filed suit in the federal district court in Seattle against Sea Shepherd and Watson. In March 2012 the district court denied ICR’s motion for a preliminary injunction in a carefully reasoned 44-page opinion, which was reversed by the Ninth Circuit. In December 2012 the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals entered its own temporary injunction, prohibiting Sea Shepherd, Watson, and any party acting in concert with them from approaching ICR’s vessels closer than 500 yards in the Southern Ocean, endangering the safe navigation of those vessels, or attacking them.
Although Sea Shepherd subsequently withdrew from the Southern Ocean whale-protection campaigns, in December 2014 the Ninth Circuit found Sea Shepherd and Watson in contempt of the injunction based on the actions of independent foreign groups that continued the campaigns. Sea Shepherd filed a petition last month asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review this decision, claiming that the Ninth Circuit exceeded its jurisdiction by interfering in a conflict involving foreign parties on the other side of the globe, and that it erroneously found Sea Shepherd in contempt even though it had complied with the injunction.
On May 1, 2015, ICR and Kyodo Senpaku filed an amended complaint in the district court renewing their request for a permanent injunction against Sea Shepherd and Watson, and also seeking coercive contempt sanctions. Sea Shepherd and Watson filed their answer and counterclaims to the amended complaint on May 15, 2015.
18th Annual Wade-In Festival comes to Estuary Center
Cecil Whig Join hosts the Upper Western Shore Tributary Team, Anita C. Leight Estuary Center, CBNERR-MD and the Otter Point Creek Alliance, to pull up your pant legs and wade into Otter Point Creek to measure water quality. Participants will be following in the ... |
Echo |
Run through Thames Estuary mud for hospice
Echo RUNNERS are invited to cross almost a kilometre of thick Thames Estuary mud to raise money for a hospice. Havens Hospices new “Island to Island Mud Run” will take place in Leigh on Sunday, June 7. Participants will attempt to run across the mudflats ... and more » |
BBC News |
Teignmouth's Estuary Court industrial park offline
BBC News Businesses which have moved into a new £2.5m industrial park in Devon say they are struggling to cope with no phone lines or internet access. Companies at Estuary Court in Teignmouth say staff have to make trips home to check for messages and are ... |
The Yongding and the Songhua at Mindelo, Carbo Verde. Photo: Josephine Watmore
Military and police have boarded the last two Interpol-wanted toothfish poaching vessels, Songhua and Yongding, in Cabo Verde, an archipelago state off the northwestern coast of Africa.
The action took place thanks to intelligence provided to international law enforcement by Sea Shepherd, which had been gathered two days prior in a remarkable set of chance circumstances.
On Wednesday May 20 at approximately 1500 local time, while in Cabo Verde on unrelated business, Captain Peter Hammarstedt of Sea Shepherd happened upon a vessel that was at anchorage at Mindelo, São Vicente that appeared to him to be remarkably like the wanted poaching vessel, Songhua.
Captain Hammarstedt forwarded photographs of the vessel, which at the time was carrying the name of Kadei and was flagged to Sierra Leone, to the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries. The Ministry, which has been involved in ongoing investigations into the Songhua, was able to confirm that this was in fact the outlawed vessel.
Shortly after, Sea Shepherd crewmembers stationed in Cabo Verde noticed the arrival of a second vessel at Mindelo, which had pulled into port alongside the Songhua. The vessel, which was carrying the name Luampa and was also flagged to Sierra Leone, was later identified as the wanted poacher Yongding.
Police and military board the Youngding/Luampa in Cabo Verde. Photo: Josephine WatmoreThe Songhua and Yongding are two of six active Illegal, Unregulated, Unreported (IUU) fishing vessels that have been blacklisted for poaching Patagonian and Antarctic toothfish in the waters of Antarctica. The six vessels, which Sea Shepherd calls the “Bandit 6”, have been the target of Sea Shepherd’s Southern Ocean Defense Campaign, Operation Icefish, led by Captain Hammarstedt and Captain Sid Chakravarty.
Both vessels have a long and well-documented history of fisheries crimes and are suspected to have links to known Spanish crime syndicate Vidal Armadores.
In January this year, the New Zealand Navy intercepted the Songhua and the Yongding, along with a third vessel, the Kunlun, after they were found fishing illegally in waters west of the Ross Sea. The vessels were subsequently issued with Interpol Purple Notices following a petition to Interpol from the New Zealand government.
Then in February, the Yongding was again intercepted, this time by the Sea Shepherd ship Sam Simon, inside Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone, in possession of prohibited fishing gear. The location of the Songhua, however, has remained unknown until this time.
All six of the IUU vessels that have been the target of Operation Icefish have been located, and four are completely out of action.
Since March, authorities in Southeast Asia have detained three of the vessels - the Kunlun, the Viking and most recently the Perlon.
On April 6, the most notorious of the outlawed vessels, the Thunder, was scuttled by its own Captain and Officers in the waters of São Tomé and PrÃncipe off the western coast of Africa, following a four-and-a-half-month pursuit by the Sea Shepherd ship Bob Barker. Authorities in São Tomé and PrÃncipe are still holding the Captain, Chief Engineer and Duty Engineer of the Thunder as investigations continue.
Captains Hammarstedt and Chakravarty have called on authorities to ensure that the outlawed vessels are detained in Cabo Verde, and the Captain and Officers of the vessels are fully investigated.
“We are now looking at the very real prospect of being able to completely rid the Southern Ocean of the ‘Bandit Six’ for good. We urge all relevant authorities to take advantage of this opportunity to fully investigate the Songhua and the Yongding, to ensure that those behind the operations are held accountable for their repeated fishing offenses and that the vessels are detained, thereby eliminating any possibility that they will be used in further illegal operations in Antarctica,” said Captain Hammarstedt.
“The successes of Operation Icefish clearly demonstrate that Sea Shepherd's arsenal in the fight against poaching extends far beyond high-seas patrols. We have the tools and the experience required to eradicate IUU fishing operations from the Southern Ocean. With the welcomed cooperation from law enforcement authorities, coordinated by the expertise of the Environmental Crime Unit of Interpol, that's exactly what we will do,” said Captain Chakravarty.
Operation Icefish was Sea Shepherd's first campaign to target Illegal, Unregulated, Unreported (IUU) fishing of toothfish in the waters of Antarctica, and Sea Shepherd’s longest, continuous at-sea campaign to date.
Sea Shepherd intel led to the boarding of the Songhua/Kadei. Photo: Josephine Watmore
Illegal Fishing Activity by Poachers Thwarted in the “A-Zone”
The Brigitte Bardot sails off the coast of Siracusa during Op. Siracusa 2014.
Photo: Sea Shepherd / Tommaso De LorenziFollowing on from the incredibly successful 2014 campaign, Sea Shepherd Global launches Operation Siracusa 2015. Led by Sea Shepherd Italia, the campaign aims to defend the fragile ecosystem of the Plemmirio Marine Reserve, off the eastern coast of Siracusa in Sicily, against illegal fishing.
Already, the impact of the 2015 campaign has been felt. On Friday May 22, the first day of patrols for Operation Siracusa 2015, Sea Shepherd volunteers came across a vessel that they suspected to be engaged in illegal fishing activity. The vessel was discovered at night, with two divers close by in the water, at the border of the A-Zone - the maximum protected area in the Reserve.
Sea Shepherd immediately notified local authorities of the suspicious activity. When the Polizia Ambientale (the Environmental Police) arrived to investigate, they also spotted a van that had been positioned by the poachers to facilitate their escape.
Further reinforcements arrived courtesy of the Guardia di Finanza (the Financial Police), and the Coast Guard. The poachers attempted to escape by diving, leaving behind their vehicle and their gear, but were eventually apprehended after a nightlong search. Investigations are now underway.
The Plemmirio Marine Reserve was established in 2004 and extends along a 14-km coast trait, on the eastern coast of the Penisola della Maddalena (Siracusa). The reserve covers 2,429 hectares and is classified as an Area Specialmente Protetta di Interesse Mediterraneo (ASPIM), a name given to sites that are important for the conservation of bio-diversity in the Mediterranean. The region is also listed as an Area Marina di Reperimento, which means its conservation is deemed to be a priority.
The Reserve is a haven for marine life, including large pelagic fish such as tuna, greater amberjacks and sharks, as well as transient marine mammals, including sperm whales. Species that are most directly impacted by poaching in the region are the sea urchin and the dusky grouper, the latter being listed as an endangered species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
During Operation Siracusa 2015, Sea Shepherd volunteers will patrol the territory along the coast of the Marine Reserve, identifying, documenting and reporting any poaching activity in the region. On days when poor weather does not allow coastal patrols, volunteers will engage in beach clean-ups to remove plastic and other garbage from the area.
Sea Shepherd will continue its successful cooperation with the authorities of the AMP Plemmirio (Plemmirio Marine Reserve), established during the 2014 campaign, which led to a total of 1,250 urchins being rescued, illegal fishing nets and fishing gear being confiscated, and poachers being slapped with fines for their crimes.
Enzo Maiorca gives a speech during a Press Conference Op. Siracusa 2014.
Photo: Giacomo GiorgiIn 2015, Sea Shepherd is honored to once again receive the support of Enzo and Patrizia Maiorca on Operation Siracusa. Members of Sea Shepherd’s Board of Advisors and world freediving champions, Enzo and his daughter Patrizia are the igniting force behind the campaign. Passionate about the sea and its wonderful creatures, they are especially concerned for the fate of this delicate, threatened ecosystem.
CEO of Sea Shepherd Global, Alex Cornelissen stated, “For the second year, Sea Shepherd will be working with local law enforcement in Sicily to stop ongoing poaching operations in the Plemmirio Marine Reserve. After the enormous success of last year’s operation, Sea Shepherd volunteers have started with the same dedication and have already helped to realize the first arrests of the season. There is no doubt that under the watchful eyes of Sea Shepherd, no poacher can get away with plundering this important Marine Protected Area. Everybody in the Sea Shepherd movement once again awaits the further news from Sicily. No doubt, more arrests will follow and poaching will once again come to a full standstill.”
Captain Paul Watson, Sea Shepherd's Founder, spoke of the volunteers who took part in Operation Siracusa 2014, praising them as “passionate, courageous defenders of the life dwelling in our Oceans, people who do what they do not because they seek fame, and neither for money, but because they love this planet, because they love our Oceans and because they love the life that swims within these Oceans and flies above them.”
Background:
The Plemmirio is classified as an Area Specialmente Protetta di Interesse Mediterraneo (ASPIM), a name given to places that are important for the conservation of biodiversity in the Mediterranean, and also as an Area Marina di Reperimento, meaning an area the conservation of which is deemed to be a priority.
The Plemmirio Marine Reserve is divided into three zones, which enjoy different levels of protection: the A-Zone, the area in which the most rigid restrictions are in place, the B-Zone which has the second highest level of restrictions, and the C-Zone, where the rules are most lenient.
The A-Zone enjoys total protection. No vessels may enter it or be anchored there. No fishing, gathering of marine species, or diving is allowed. Spearfishing, both with aqualungs and by free divers, is forbidden in all three zones.
the Plemmirio Protected Area. Photo: Marianna Baldo |
