Bully Boys' Blockade

A nasty-Nippon-led coalition has blocked a move to create a South Atlantic sanctuary for whales.
The proposal brought by five African and South American countries needed the support of ¾ of the International Whaling Commission (IWC)'s 88 members. In the event, 24 countries were opposed, including Japan.
Japan is one of a handful of countries including Norway and Iceland still hunting whales via a loophole in a 30yr.old global moratorium, allowing "scientific whaling" – essentially using a tape measure to justify commercial harvesting of whales.
Hermano Telles Ribeiro, Brazil's IWC envoy said after the vote: "Brazil does not accept the practice of scientific whaling. The loophole should not be there at all."
He said it was high time to tighten the 70yr.old International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling. That moratorium was introduced at the urging of environmentalists, to preserve dwindling whale stocks in the world's oceans.
The sanctuaries improved protection of whales from pollution and entanglement in fishing nets. Scientists estimate 300,000+ whales and dolphins die annually after being accidentally caught in fishing gear.
Environmentalists say the South Atlantic is crucial to preserving whale diversity. It is an area that is critically important to a wide range of whale species.

The End Of The World As We Know It

If this is TRUE, then God must HATE us...

A new report by The Climate Institute indicates coffee could be extinct by 2080 if global warming trends continue!
According to the report, rising temperatures encourage the growth of fungi and pests, which could make half of the world's coffee farming land useless.
It's happened before (almost): unusually high temperatures and high-altitude rains through Central America in 2012 resulted in a wave of coffee leaf rust, affecting more than 50% of the crop. And coffee berry borer, a major pest originating in Congo, has now spread to places such as Tanzania, Uganda, and Indonesia due to hotter, wetter conditions.

The report also warns that such factors can have an impact on everything from coffee flavour to coffee price: "Without strong action to reduce emissions, climate change is projected to cut the global area suitable for coffee production by as much as 50% by 2050. By 2080, wild coffee, an important genetic resource for farmers, could become extinct."
As one who can't function without a good strong coffee every morning, all I can say is: thank goodness I’ll be DEAD by then!

This Time, The Whales Win

A new court ruling, in an ongoing battle between the US Navy and marine wildlife advocates, has come down in favour of marine mammals that're affected by navy sonar.

Sonar, which involves detecting underwater objects using sound waves, is used by whales and dolphins to locate prey or members of their pod. But the human-developed sonar can be harmful to marine mammals and their feeding and mating patterns.
An Appeals Court in California has found a 2012 decision - to allow naval use of low-frequency sonar for training, testing, and operations - was contrary to the US Marine Mammal Protection Act, which states peacetime oceanic programmes must have "the least practicable adverse impact on marine mammals."
Environmentalists have claimed 155 whales and dolphins in certain parts of Southern California and the Hawaiian islands were killed by the US Navy's mid-frequency active sonar and explosives, with estimates for serious injuries in the range of 2,000.
The use of sonar has been shown to cause whales to swim hundreds of miles to escape, change depth so fast that injury is caused, or beach themselves in order to avoid rolling walls of noise that're nearly twice the volume of the loudest rock concert.
This lawsuit by the Natural Resources Defence Council is part of a larger campaign to limit man-made oceanic noises impacting the health, feeding, and breeding patterns for marine mammals. Other examples include sounds caused by shipping vessels and seismic oil and gas drilling.

2016 Grindadráp Begins

In the Northern Hemisphere, it's summer.
A time for family fun in the sun, frolicking at the seaside, running helter-skelter into the waves...and for some Faroe Islanders, hacking trapped pilot whales to death. Their local media confirms up to 50 whales were killed on 06 July.

The pod of pilot whales was initially spotted near Svinoy (an island in the NE of the Faroes), before boats forced them south about 11km onto the killing beach of Hvannasund...Sea Shepherd activists were not present at the grindadráp, as the group has been barred from entering the FI.
The 2015 summer saw 501 whales butchered, 14 SS volunteers from across the globe arrested, and SS's vessel Bob Barker barred "in the interests of maintaining law and order." A new law was brought in, forcing all visitors - not just SS activists - to report sightings of whales to authorities, or face a possible 2yrs.jail.
There were also claims that the navy was involved in preventing protests. As actor Martin Sheen wrote to the Danish PM: "I was appalled to see the Danish Navy being used to defend the killing of hundreds of defenceless pilot whales. Does it really take a frigate, a patrol boat, commando units and a helicopter along with Danish police officers and a Faroese patrol boat to stop a group of compassionate, non-violent people?"
The Faroe Islands govt claims there's no special legislation regarding entry visas for members of Sea Shepherd. But from April 2016, a new executive order allows a Faroese minister to ban foreign vessels if they're expected to "disrupt lawful activities".
As a result, SS has modified its tactics. It's 2016 pilot whale defence campaign Operation Bloody Fjords will take its battle to the heart of the Faroese and Danish institutions that support this bloody dated practice. It plans to pursue a legal complaint in the European Union Parliament, and to promote the boycott of Faroese farm-raised salmon and other fish products.

Selling Off Canterbury Water

The news leaked out earlier this week: a council in the middle of the drought-prone Canterbury plains is selling the right to extract 40 billion litres of pure artesian water to a bottled water supplier.

Am I missing something?
Ashburton District Council is selling off a section (called Lot 9) with a valuable resource consent, that allows the taking of water from aquifers beneath the town.
Not at all surprisingly, the council is staying mum on the deal (understood to be with an overseas company interested in setting up a water-bottling plant), and won't say how much dosh it'll be making. But you can bet, if it's prepared to face public wrath over such an horrendous deal, it'll be pocketing a pretty penny!
The buyer will be able to to take 45L of water a second from local aquifers, totalling more than 1.4 billion litres a year!
With the consent valid until 2046, the buyer will be able to suck out 40 billion+ litres of Ashburton's water.
The Ashburton groundwater zone is over-allocated, meaning water allocated to consent holders exceeds the amount available for use.
The area's heavy crop cultivation means demand for existing water is heavy. The district often has issues supplying water during summer. In some areas, residents are banned from using hoses to water their gardens.
But wait! Back in 2011, when applying for the consent, the council struck a deal with meat processor Silver Fern Farms, allowing it to deepen its bore if Lot 9's water take caused groundwater levels to reduce. Yeup, so New Player can heavily impact existing water table to the tune of 40 billion+ litres. Then Existing Player can suck off even MORE water, if New Player effects it too much!
Oh, and BTW, there's been no public consultation about the deal. Surprise-surprise! And yet this under-cover sale is expected to be finalised in June!
This whole deal smells despicable, and surely needs to be paused for due process!! And quite frankly, does the world need yet ANOTHER bottled water label???!

Hide and Seek

Environmental group Sea Shepherd can't find the nasty Nippon whaling fleet in the vast Southern Ocean, and is urging the Ozzie govt to help.

Its ship Steve Irwin left Western Australia on 18 Jan., to disrupt the annual hunt. SS says the whalers have greatly expanded their area of operations in the Southern Ocean, and this makes finding them very difficult.
Japan maintains it's trying to prove the whale population is big enough to sustain a return to commercial hunting, and says it has to kill the mammals to carry out its 'scientific research' properly.
Australia - leading global efforts to persuade Japan to halt whaling - has previously floated the idea of sending a customs vessel to monitor the hunt, but there's been no follow-through.
SS's Paul Watson: "SS was expecting that Oz or NZ would uphold their obligations as responsible members of the International Whaling Commission, to send a ship to intercept the Japanese whaling fleet. This does not seem to be something Australia or New Zealand are willing to do." He's calling for them to provide SS with the exact

"What? You expect me to be actually do my job???"

coordinates of the fleet.
Oz Environment Minister Greg Hunt is non-committal on the suggestion: "We do not accept...the concept of killing whales for so-called 'scientific research'. We will continue to urge Japan to pursue non-lethal methods of research and end its unnecessary whaling programme. Australia is committed to the protection of whales and we will continue to work with the international community to promote whale conservation and uphold the global moratorium on commercial whaling."
As you can see, he's saying nothing at all. And if you're expecting anything better from NZ Foreign Affairs Munster "Womble" McCully...think again. He can't even say ANYTHING on the subject... let alone anything of substance!
It appears as if, once again, the people's elected representatives sit comfortably in their ivory towers doing nothing, while the people's eco-warriors struggle on their own...

Valentines Day 2016

So...how did YOU spend your Valentines Day?
With someone special? And did the earth move for you?
Hell, it sure did for me! THIS just happened...a "severe" 5.7 earthquake just off the coast and only 15km deep! It sure stirred things up, rollin' for about a minute!
And reports indicate it was felt up and down the whole country!

Penguins Staring Down The Gun

Otago's yellow-eyed penguin population has reached rock bottom, after a year of sweltering temperatures, disease, and barracuda

attacks.
Fewer than 190 breeding pairs were counted on the Otago coast this season...down from 500 in 2012!
Many chicks were hit by avian diphtheria, an infection that forms ulcers in chicks' mouths, making it difficult to eat and breathe. Some chicks had died due to overheating, as they remained under the protection of their parent's body.
Coastal Otago Biodiversity Ranger Mel Young: "There's no obvious pattern to the infection outbreak, but most infected chicks have also been underweight. The heat has played a large part too."
Ailing penguins have been fed salmon smoothies every few days, and had the lesions in their mouths removed, allowing them to eat and breathe easier. Despite this, about 45% of chicks at monitored sites had died.
Tourists visiting those sites have also caused problems. The Department of Conservation (DoC) urges them to take established tours, rather than explore on their own, so as not to disturb breeding.
It's a sentiment echoed by the Yellow-Eyed Penguin Trust GM Sue Murray: "The penguins have had a tough four breeding seasons, so we're trying to minimise every possible risk, to give them their best chance of survival."
+++++
Penguins face many dangers - disease, interference from humans and livestock at breeding areas, heat stress, predation by stoats and ferrets, and dog attacks.
In 2013, a mass mortality event believed to be a toxic bloom, killed around 70 adults and juveniles on the Otago Peninsula. Also that year, low food supplies left penguins emaciated and unable to moult without help.
Early in 2015, 50+ penguins were maimed in barracuda attacks.

The Killing Never Stops

"Ahhh vell, it helps to pass ze time on zez cold vinter days, jah!"

On the last day of November, 11 more pilot whales were slaughtered at the killing beach of Fuglafirði in the Faroe Islands.

Though it's assumed by outsiders that these killings happen only in the Northern summers, a grindadráp can be called at any time of the year - whenever a whale pod is sighted.
Environmental group Sea Shepherd has left the Faroe Islands for this year, ending its 6th campaign there (entitled Operation Sleppid Grindini), but strongly disputes the local media's claims that the slaughter was "smooth and quick".

Rosie Kunneke, SS's Land Team Leader: "For an hour and a half these pilot whales were harassed by small boats, driven onto the killing beach, hooked by their blowholes, dragged onto the rocks and sand and then slaughtered...the truth of the grindadráp is a slow and torturous death. To claim otherwise is a totally outrageous sham."
This was the 7th grindadráp of 2015, bringing the total number of pilot whales slaughtered to 501. Since the beginning of 2010, the Faroese have killed nearly 4,000 whales and dolphins... 

US Nuke Spanish Clean-up

The good ol' US of A has finally agreed to clean up its own mess... namely a nuclear spill!
The southern Spanish coastal resort of Palomares was the scene of the worst nuclear accident in US military history nearly 50 years ago.

Death from above

On 17 Jan.1966, a B52 bomber with four nuclear bombs collided with a refuelling aircraft in mid-air. Three bombs fell near Palomares, failing to explode but contaminating the soil with radioactive material, and the 4th fell into the sea, lieing undiscovered for more than 2mths.
USA and Spain said last week they 'intended to...clean up the Palomares site and organise the storage of the contaminated soil at an appropriate site in the United States.' The contaminated soil is expected to be buried in a secure area in the Las Vegas desert in an 2yr.operation. A Spanish Govt spokesman said the agreement was a "...symbol of friendship between the two countries, who are allies and partners who trust one another and have lots of things to do together." What - even it takes 50 years???

The mayor of the nuked area claims he's not been told a damn thing about the deal: "I'm annoyed we haven't been officially informed. We're the victims, the ones who've suffered this for the last half-century and the ones who now have to suffer the clean-up." He said he'd continue to fight for proper compensation, and funding for a tourism campaign to protect its image while lorries carrying radioactive material warnings roll through the area.
The area where the bombs fell, in the province of Almeria, SE Spain, has been dubbed the Costa del Armageddon. In the aftermath of the crash, the US and Spanish tried to convince the world there was no danger. US Ambassador Biddie Duke even joined a Spanish minister for a swim off Palomares in front of cameras, saying: "If this is radioactivity, I love it!"
Environmentalists have accused the two govts of secrecy about residents' health checks. The Spanish govt claims only small levels of radiation have been detected, though in several cases plutonium has reportedly attached itself to bones.

Where's A Ninja Turtle When He's Needed?!!!

Give a tourist a selfie stick...and he'll take a bloody mile!
Thousands of Olive Ridley Sea Turtles were unable to lay their eggs along the Pacific Coast in Costa Rica this month, because a mob of dork tourists were crowding the shoreline being fuckwits!
We've seen the amazing event on tv wildlife programmes - every year the sea turtles come to the Ostional Wildlife Refuge in Guanacaste,

"Oooo, Look at me! I'm a FUCKIN' IDIOT!!!"

Costa Rica, to nest.
But this year, a wave of bloody stupid tourists swamped the beach, and completely disregarded the fragility of the site! They touched the turtles, some actually sat their children on the turtles' backs for photos, they stood on their nests, physically blocked the turtles' path to the beach and basically did everything to frighten the turtles from their nesting ground. Scared off by the hundreds of tourists, the turtles simply turned around and retreated into the sea.
Mind you, it doesn't help that anywherecostarica.com and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), among others, have on-line maps, showing all the turtle-nesting areas!
The Costa Rican Secretary of Environment is investigating the incident and why authorities were unable to control the eco-idiots who hampered the natural process of turtle-spawning.
To lose a nesting cycle like this can have disastrous long-term effects on turtle populations. With another group expected to lay their eggs on the beach in October, authorities will be tightening security and restricting access.

Kunlun On The Run Again

An air and sea hunt is underway by the Thai Royal Navy for the 'pirate' fishing vessel Taishan (formerly named Kunlun).

The ship had been detained in Phuket since March, when the crew attempted to offload 182 tons of illegally-caught Patagonian toothfish worth around US$5 million as grouper worth US$414,400. This followed a joint investigation between Interpol, Sea Shepherd, Thailand, Australia and NZ.
A Thai naval officer said Taishan/Kunlun's captain was fined under the Thai Customs Act, however the vessel's unregulated fishing was not illegal under Thai laws applicable to the high seas: "The operator paid the fine and had the right to claim their fish in accordance with the law." Then, at the first opportunity, the vessel eluded local authorities and did a runner!
Peter Hammarstedt, Chairman of Sea Shepherd Australia, has bagged Australia and NZ for not apprehending Taishan/Kunlun earlier in the year: "As the vessel has now escaped with its illegal catch, we're seeing this blunder for what it really is. If the vessel had been arrested by Australia or NZ, the catch would never have been returned."
SS has called on Oz/NZ authorities and international enforcement agencies to locate Taishan/Kunlun, which carries an Interpol Purple Notice.
Sadly, there's no chance of New Zealand doing anything...not while we have that weak womble, 'Muddling' Murray McCully, as our Foreign Munster! The guy is so pathetically limp-dicked that he wouldn't let our Navy board Taishan/Kunlun in Antarctic waters when we had the chance.
If this type of illegal fishing is to be stopped, then NZ must grow some balls when a poaching vessel is intercepted. Waiting for these ships to reach port and relying on local laws has failed to stop Taishan/Kunlun. In fact, the vessel's owners are now laughing all the way to the bank! LITERALLY!

Denmark Refuses Entry To Faroes

The Sea Shepherd ship Bob Barker and its crew have been denied entry into the Faroe Islands by Danish authorities.
The vessel arrived at the port of Sund in the FI last Sunday. Upon docking, Danish Customs and Immigration officers conducted a full ship search and passport inspection. Authorities did not indicate there was any entry issue during the inspection. However, afterwards, all 21 crewmembers were issued with a Refusal of Entry notice and ordered to leave the 12nm limit of the Faroe Islands.
Danish authorities said the notices were issued for suspicion of "affecting public order", although the actual document gives no clear legal reasons for denial of entry. Believing the notices to be unlawful, SS has begun appeal processes to fight the order.
Captain Alex Cornelissen, CEO of SS Global: "Denmark seems to think the best way to divert attention away from its support of the grindadráp is to conduct further legally dubious activity."
Despite the fact that the slaughter of cetaceans is banned in the European Union - including Denmark - the killing continues with the support of Danish police and navy, and with the blessing of the Danish government. Cornelissen: "By denying the crew of the Bob Barker entry to the Faroe Islands, Danish authorities have proven that they are more interested in supporting the slaughter of pilot whales than they are in upholding their EU responsibilities and maintaining their relationships with other EU countries. They have also shown how effective Sea Shepherd has been in holding Denmark accountable for the on-going slaughter of cetaceans."

This year 490 pilot whales have been killed in the Faroes with Denmark's backing.
+ ...meanwhile international pressure against the grindadráp builds from countries within the EU. In early August, two major German cruise-liner companies cancelled tours to the Faroes.
In the past month, politicos from Luxembourg, Italy and the UK have publically expressed disdain for the grindadráp.
On 19 August, the Scottish town of Wick announced it had cut its 20yr.long twin-town relationship with the city of Klaksvík, and would not look to re-instate official relationships until the "disgusting" slaughter of whales in FI is banned.
The writing is on the wall...?

Stilted Success

The Department of Conservation (DOC) recently released nearly 100 young black stilts into the wild at sites in Canterbury's Mackenzie basin, after a record chick-rearing season.
About half were released at the Cass River near Lake Tekapo and the remainder on the Tasman River delta.

This follows the early release of 43 in January, due to avairies being at capacity.
The birds were successfully raised at DOC's aviary in Twizel and The Isaac Conservation and Wildlife Trust facilities in Christchurch.
Boosting the small wild population of this critically endangered species with birds from the captive breeding programme is essential for its survival. DOC Conservation Services Manager Dean Nelson: "The number we raise has been increasing each year, resulting in a steady increase of adult birds in the wild. Our challenge this coming season is to maintain this momentum, with our capacity to raise birds affected by the damage of two out of three of our aviaries in Twizel this winter." (Last June's heavy snow collapsed one wooden-arch aviary and damaged another.)
The wild black stilt population has increased from a desperately-low 23 birds in the early 1980s to an estimated 77 adult birds last summer.
The threat from predators such as stoats and feral cats over large areas of braided river habitat where black stilts live is a major difficulty in conserving this species.

Background:
Black stilts are only found in NZ, on the braided rivers and wetlands of the upper Waitaki and Mackenzie basins. They have been brought back from the brink of extinction by intensive conservation work over the past 30yrs. Black stilts are known to mate for life. The birds' survival is threatened by introduced predators, weeds and disturbance by people and vehicles.

Last Chance For His Kind

Sudan is an elderly northern white rhinoceros.
He spends his days surrounded 24/7 by armed guards.
At 42, he's the oldest northern white rhino to have lived in captivity and it shows. His left eye is nearly blind, his hind legs so weak he can't mount the remaining females. His sperm count is low, and the

females reject him.
His subspecies has spent generations evolving to their habitat - their mouths shaped to suit the local vegetation, their hides more resistant to specific parasites. But they could not prepare for man's wars. They lived in battle zones - Congo, the Central African Republic, Sudan - and were killed for horns that could be turned into cash and weapons (in SE Asian markets, rhino horn sells for around $71,000 per kilo!).
In the 1960s, northern whites were estimated at around 2000. When Sudan was captured at age 3, and taken to a Czech zoo, his kind were listed as 'endangered'. Conservationists believed they could still save them, but no one did anything. So they were wiped out in the wild, first in the Central African Republic, then in Sudan.
By 2003, there were less than two dozen left in the wilds of DRC's Garamba National Park. After the govt refused to move them to safety in Kenya, they too were poached. In 2008, northern white rhinos were declared extinct in the wild. Only those in captivity remained.
Other rhino subspecies have suffered the same fate: the western black rhino and a subspecies of Javan rhino in the wilds of Vietnam were declared extinct in 2011.
Scientists set the minimum requirement for a viable breeding population of a subspecies at around 2000. Right now, there are five. Two of the four remaining females are in a San Diego zoo, too old to mate.
The two other females are Sudan's own offspring. Yet, despite in-breeding being common among wild rhinos, his daughter Najin (25) and granddaughter Fatu (14) will no longer have him.
In an ironic situation created by human plunder and blunder, the best chance for survival now rests with human intervention. Conservationists are planning to create the world's first test-tube rhino, through in-vitro fertilisation of Najin or Fatu's eggs with sperm harvested from Sudan. The tiny embryo could then be implanted into a southern white rhino, a surrogate mother from a closely related subspecies.
It has never been done before. But it's the only choice left.

Tailing The Winter Bay

Sea Shepherd's ship Sam Simon has left Norwegian waters, after a short stop in the port of Tromsø. It was tailing a shipment of

endangered fin whale meat, en route to Japan.
You'll recall in May, I blogged about the cargo vessel Winter Bay, with 1,700 tonnes of endangered fin whale meat, harvested from endangered whales slaughtered in the North Atlantic by Icelandic whaling company Hvalur (run by its blood-hungry CEO Kristján Loftsson).
Winter Bay (which until 2014 was Norwegian-owned, and operated by the country's shipping and ferry company Nor Lines), has been reflagged to a St.Kitts and Nevis flag-of-convenience. It's ownership has been transferred to a shell company in Tortola British Virgin Islands, and the vessel's management has been outsourced to a Latvian ship operator. It's not uncommon for older, aging ships to be handled in this way to avoid the cost of maintenance.
Prior arrival in Tromsø, Sam Simon notified Norwegian authorities of it's plans to enter Norwegian waters, as required under law. The SS vessel was then tailed by the Norwegian Coast Guard, and buzzed multiple times by a Maritime Surveillance Aircraft.
Once in harbour, Sam Simon was boarded by about two dozen Coast Guard, Customs officers and police with sniffer dogs. They carried out a thorough inspection, while crew were kept under guard in the mess.
There were no incidents and the authorities remained professional and courteous at all times, but it's hoped the Coast Guard subjected Winter Bay, which is carrying endangered wildlife, to the same amount of close scrutiny.
SS will continue to watch Winter Bay, which is

scheduled to sail the icy passage between Russia and the North Pole to Japan.
...meanwhile actress Pamela Anderson has written to Russian Prez Putin, requesting that Russia stop Winter Bay from sailing through the Northeast Passage.
Winter Bay is in violation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), to which the Russian Federation is a signatory. CITES prohibited the shipment from going through the Suez or Panama Canals, thus leaving only one viable route: the Bering Strait, which separates the Russian region of Kamchatka from the US state of Alaska at the point where the Arctic meets the Pacific Ocean. This cuts straight through Russian territorial waters, meaning Putin has the power to refuse the Winter Bay passage and send it back to Iceland.
Anderson, a well-known animal-rights advocate, has asked the Russian leader to do exactly that...

Tourists Forced To Help Massacre Whales

Come to the beautiful Faroe Islands...and help massacre whales!

Tourists in the Faroes face stiff penalties, if they do not report migrating whales and dolphins to local authorities!
According to new laws, tourists must report all sightings of whales and dolphins, so the cetaceans can be slaughtered in the infamous drive hunt, the grindadráp. Visitors who do not comply can face penalties of up to 3,000 euros, and imprisonment of two years.

Sea Shepherd's Operation Sleppid Grindini members were informed of the penalties by local authorities...who were quick to point out that the law applied to all visiting tourists, not just those with SS.
Despite these laws and revised penalties, the Danish Navy has confirmed that it will not assist with reporting or other involvement in the grindadráp...unlike in the past!
I can only imagine how those opposed to, or indeed unaware of, the killing tradition will react to this. Oh, what a marketing opportunity! 'Visit the Faroes! Bask in its natural beauty! Go home with blood on your hands and unnecessary deaths on your conscience!' Yes, even tourists on whale-watching tours can be drawn into the killings.

While these laws are obviously intended to limit SS's effectiveness in protecting whales, the severe implications will most certainly drive tourist money away from the region. It's like visiting Zimbabwe and being forced into rhino poaching!
The annual whale massacres have garnered negative reactions from some in the tourist industry. Since 2013, two German cruise line companies, AIDA and Hapag-Lloyd, have publically expressed their concerns about the grindadráp to the Faroes govt, calling for an end to the slaughter.
In their enthusiasm to enforce these new penalties and restrain SS, the Faroese have overlooked the potential threat to tourism!

...ironically, on the very day this news broke (29 June 2015), a second massacre occurred, this time at Hvannasund.
Sea Shepherd estimates that 20-30 pilot whales were killed in the slaughter. The SS ship Brigitte Bardot was patrolling approx.25 miles to the south, and was not able to reach the area in time.

Sea Shepherd Begins Faroes Action

"Vell done, Lars! Brigetta vill be pleased!"

Conservation group Sea Shepherd has dispatched a vessel from Bremen in Germany to the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic to campaign against it's traditional whale hunt.
The vessel Sam Simon will try to prevent hunters from killing pilot whales. The ship is expected to arrive in the island archipelago today (...meanwhile the annual slaughter of the whales began on 07 June).
A SS spokesman says: "Denmark allows the Faroe Islands to continue the barbaric practice of the grindadrap, despite being a signatory to the Bern Convention, which outlaws the slaughter of cetaceans."
Readers of this blog will know that, during the annual whale hunt, the 3-6m pilot whales are driven by a flotilla of small boats into a bay or the mouth of a fjord before being hacked to death with hooks and knives - a "grind" that many locals defend as a cultural right.
The whale meat and blubber are consumed by locals and considered

Don't ya just DIG that blood lust!

delicacies.
Sam Simon crew will join fellow SS members on a fast-interceptor vessel donated by the Brigitte Bardot Foundation (an animal rights group founded by the former French actress) which arrived in Faroese waters last Wednesday. Another ship Bob Barker will join them shortly.
The SS campaign will run until 01 October. The timing of the killing depends on when the cetaceans are spotted offshore, and SS activists have intervened in the Faroes several times in the past.

No Trophy Kills On South African Airways

Africa's largest airline has banned the shipment of endangered animal trophies on its flights.
That’s right. There will be no more leopard-skins or elephant heads allowed onboard South African Airways (SAA).
Take that, trophy hunters!
SAA country manager Tim Clyde-Smith: "SAA will no longer support game hunters by carrying their trophies back to their country of origin. The vast majority of tourists visit Africa in particular to witness the wonderful wildlife that remains. We consider it our duty to work to ensure this is preserved for future generations and that we deter activity that puts this wonderful resource in danger."
No exception will be made, even if the hunter holds a valid permit issued by the relevant authorities to transport the animal.

This news comes after the recent revelation that the rate of rhinos poached last year in South Africa was bigger than ever.
Conservationists are onboard with the idea, seeing it as a bold and positive move to limit human-induced mortalities.
Wouldn't it be great if other international carriers made similar moves...

Faroe Islands: Set The Whales Free!

Sea Shepherd has announced its 2015 Faroe Islands pilot whale defence campaign will be called Operation Sleppid Grindini.
From June 14 until October, SS will return to the rugged but beautiful Faroe Islands to again halt the mass slaughter of long-finned pilot whales and other small cetaceans there.
The campaign marks the commencement of SS's increased presence in the North Atlantic, where the organisation will use its Southern Ocean successes to combat the continuing slaughter

Sam Simon

of cetaceans.
The slaughter, known by the Faroese word grindadráp or grind, is a brutal and bloody tradition that wipes out entire family groups of whales and dolphins at one time.
The 2015 campaign name sleppid grindini means "set the whales free" in Faroese - and is the traditional order used by the grind foreman to call off a whale hunt.
Op.Sleppid Grindini campaign leader Captain Alex Cornelissen: "Our crews will do everything legally possible to ensure the pilot whales are set free. Our intervention is not aimed at imposing our values on the Faroese. It is part of a global movement driven by the passion to protect these pilot whales and all of the precious life in our oceans."
Op.Sleppid Grindini will be SS's 6th.campaign in the Faroes, and will have the organisation's strongest sea presence in the region to date. SS vessels Bob Barker and Sam Simon will be joined by its fast trimaran Brigitte Bardot.

Brigitte Bardot in the Faroes