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| OCEAN LOVERS Environmental Page |
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| Scuba Divers see below the surface! We see what is going on in our worlds oceans & seas. And guess what... We can make a differnce! This page is dedicated to protect our most precious environment. SCUBATREKKERS Diveclub will publish news, facts and whatever it takes to keep us proud to live on the BLUE PLANET! |
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| Dinnerplate Ocean! The global appetite for seafood is pushing many marine species to the brink of exstinction! Just in the USA alone do consumers spend almost $50 billion each year on a wide variety of fish and shellfish. On average Americans eat about 15 pounds (7kg) of seafood per person a year, according to the National Fisheries Institute. |
| But the oceans and their inhabitants can't keep pace with the industrialized world's fishing fleets. According to the United Nations, some 70 percent of the world's major fisheries are overexploited or in danger of being fished out. Moreover, some harvesting methods, including dredging, trawling and dynamite fishing, are devastating to marine habitats. |
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| So what can we do? Plenty. Consumers drive world demand for seafood. But what's a seafood lover to do? We're not saying that you should not eat any fish no more. But do become an informed customer and make the right choice when buying seafood. Lucky us, the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Audubon Society do the science homework for you. Both groups provide a list of seafood choices, cautioning consumers which species to buy or avoid based on the best available scientific information. Have a look at the websites below to find out more about making the responsible choice the next time you are standing in the supermarket. Do your part to protect the oceans and their wild habitants. |
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| Nets Drown 1'000 Cetaceans Daily Nearly 1'000 whales, dolphins and Porpoises drown every day after becoming tangled in fishing nets and other equipment, scientists say in what appears to be the first global estimate of the problem. Annually, the researchers said 308'000 of the marine mammals die unintentionally in fishermen's hauls. |
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| There are more than 80 species collectively know as cetaceans, or fishlike sea mammals. They range from porpoises weighing 100 pounds to the blue whale, the world's largest creature at more than 120 tons. Many species are near extinction because of centuries of overhunting. The new study, conducted by American and Scottish biologists, suggests that accidental captures, known as "bycatch" in the fishing industry, may be the biggest immediate threat to these animals' survival - even more than ship collisions and pollution. This report was released by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for the 55th annual International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting in June 2003. |
| "This level of bycatch is no doubt significantly depleting and disrupting many populations of whales, dolphins and porpoises," said the study's lead researcher, Andy Read of Duke University Marine Laboratory in Beaufort, N.C. "Several species will be lost in the next few decades if nothing is done." Marine researchers who did not contribute to the study said the new mortality estimate is "very distressing." |
| Since the 19th century, commercial whaling turned millions of whales into lubricants, cosmetics, margarine and meal. The IWC banned most whaling in the 1980's. Norway ignores the ban, while Japan takes nearly 700 whales a year under controversial IWC research exemption. Some native cultures are allowed to conduct strictly limited hunts. |
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| SOS SEA TURTLES Sea turtles live on our planet since over 200 million years. They are highly developed animals with incredible skills of navigating our oceans water. Despite the fact that they are protected in Appendix 1 of the Washington Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species, turtles have a hard time to get anywhere close to be taken off the endangered species list. They are still greatly endangered and threatened with extinction. Because the commercial value of sea turtles is great - especially on the black market - many people could not care less about their protection status! Some countries such as Cuba and Japan even try to loosen up the tight laws of protections in order to harvest turtles legally! |
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| Indonesia Internationally one of the biggest markets for turtle products is Asia. Until recently on the Indonesian island of Bali the "Turtle Mafia" has slaughtered over 25'000 turtles illegaly and in a very gruesome way, as has been told by members of the Indonesian environmental organisation ProFauna Indonesia Headquarters (formerly "Animal Conservation for Life"). An incredible fact is also, that these animals are not only hunted in Indonesian waters but also "stolen" out of the waters around Malaysia or even as far as Australia. Then they are shipped to the Bali slaughterhouse to be killed in a unbelievably cruel fashion. Can you imagine how these animals are suffering when they are being transported for weeks in fishing boats where they lie on their backs tied down with ropes without any food or water?! The cruelty of the subsequent killing of the turtles - they are being cut open alive - is indescribable!!! Sea turtle products are then moved all over the world to be sold on the black market. |
| Divers can not just ignore something like this!! This is why Project AWARE in cooperation with the German dive magazine "tauchen" under the watchful eyes and lens of the project leader, world famous photographer Kurt Amsler have started the SEATURTLES BALI campaign in 2001. With the support of many divers from all over the world they have achieved to have the Indonesian government to listen and to act. But still more has to be done! Send a fax with you signature of protest to the following addresses: Governor of Bali Bali Police Bali Minister of Environment < More Info's > |
| Coppyright K. Amsler Over 10'000 turtles are slaughtered illegaly in Bali |
| Coppyright K. Amsler Caught turtles ready for the slaughterhouse ... hopefully soon a picture from the past! |
| Coppyright K. Amsler Turtles are slaughtered while still alive! |
| Coppyright K. Amsler Illegal turtle slaughterhouse in Bali |
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| HELP SAVE THE TURTLES! |
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| Link to more information |