Conservation – Page 41 – Southern Fried Science

Sea Shepherd and Whale Wars

June 3, 2010February 16, 2011 Andrew Thaler 19 Comments

We have been and continue to be critical of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Although their goals are admirable their methods are not only ineffective, but in some cases impair the achievement of those goals. With the premier of Whale Wars season 3 tomorrow evening, we’d like to take a moment to highlight the issues we’ve raised concerning the SSCS. Over the last two years we’ve written a number of post summarizing our problems with Sea Shepherd:

Our friends at Deep Sea News and Underwater Thrills have been critical of SSCS, too:

The above links cover many of the issues we have with this organization. The New York Times recently published an excellent breakdown of the Japanese Whaling Industry. Below are our main criticisms of SSCS:

Biodiversity Wednesday: An Intricate Web of Life: Kelp Forests

June 2, 2010June 2, 2010 Andrew Thaler

Conservation, Science

Ethical Debate: Killing sharks for science?

June 1, 2010December 31, 2011 David Shiffman 25 Comments

Conservation, Science

While attending last year’s American Elasmobranch Society conference, I was asked to fill out a survey concerning my views on lethal shark research. My response, along with those of many other participants, has now been analyzed and written up into a new essay in the Journal of Conservation Biology. Michelle Heupel and Colin Simpendorfer argue that lethal sampling of some individual sharks is sometimes necessary in order to get the data needed to protect those animals’ entire species. However, attitudes about conservation in general and sharks specifically are changing, and many (including these authors) feel that this is starting to affect marine biology as a science.

The red snapper controversy: Interviews with fishermen

May 31, 2010 David Shiffman 2 Comments

Conservation, Science

New proposed regulations for the red snapper fishery have conservationists celebrating and fishermen marching on Washington, DC in protest. Quota reductions are some of the most extreme and far-reaching I’ve ever come across. A huge area of the ocean (over 10,000 square miles) has been targeted for closure of not just the red snapper fishery… but all “bottom fishing” of the 73 species in the snapper-grouper management complex. According to the South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council, such severe regulations are necessary because of the degree of overfishing that has been occurring (8 times the sustainable level since 1970). As a result of this overfishing, the stock is also considered to be seriously overfished- the National Marine Fisheries Service estimates that current stocks are 3% of target size. A total area closure is necessary, according to the SAFMC, because even accidental bycatch of red snapper while trying to catch other snapper-grouper complex fishes can seriously impact such a reduced population. Since these fish live in relatively deep water, they often die after being released. Finally, an 87% reduction in red snapper mortality needs to occur over many years (possibly decades) to rebuild stocks. These regulations are in place right now via a process called “the interim rule”, and meetings will take place later this year to determine if they should remain in place.

Because of the controversy surrounding this topic, SAFMC science personnel were unable to be interviewed. However, . Zack Bowen, a charter boat operator from Savannah, Georgia, and Blaine Dickenson, a recreational fishermen and SAFMC advisor, agreed to participate.

Hawaii shark fin bill signed into law!

May 30, 2010May 30, 2010 David Shiffman 3 Comments

Conservation, Science

A few days ago, Governor Linda Lingle of Hawaii signed the recently passed shark fin bill into law. Starting on July 1 of 2011 it will be illegal to possess or sell shark fins within the state of Hawaii. Though this law, the strongest shark protection law in North America, is a huge success, we … Read More “Hawaii shark fin bill signed into law!” »

Who should you be following for oil spill news?

May 28, 2010May 30, 2010 Andrew Thaler 11 Comments

Conservation, Popular Culture, Science

Update: we’ve promoted this post to a full page on the blog. Please go here for the most up-to-date version. The comment thread will remain active here.

Real Leadership for the Deepwater Horizon Disaster

May 25, 2010 Andrew Thaler

Conservation

I’ve been a fan of Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen for a while now. His blog, iCommandant, provided a window into a world few of us glimpse. His openness, honesty, and no nonsense attitude made the iCommandant blog one of the best blogs on the internet. Which is why I began today disheartened to see that he was relieved as Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard by Admiral Robert Papp. But that sadness was short lived when it was announced the Admiral Thad Allen will continue serve as National Incident Commander for the Gulf of Mexico.

Are sandbar sharks more like bowhead whales or cod?

May 24, 2010December 20, 2011 David Shiffman 1 Comment

Conservation, Science

At first glance, the question posed in the title seems silly. Both cod and sandbar sharks are fish, therefore they must be more similar to each other than either are to bowhead whales (which are mammals). However, a recent conservation genetics paper has demonstrated that one aspect of a sandbar shark’s life history is more similar to that of bowhead whales: both sandbar sharks and bowhead whales have an effective size that is very similar to their census size.

Unguided deep-sea research is essential for national and global security

May 24, 2010January 14, 2013 Andrew Thaler

Conservation, Science

This Sunday on NPR I heard the following paraphrased comment: “The ROV pilots have never had to deal with anything like this before, no one has trained for the kinds of maneuvers needed to close to well.” I’ve known many ROV pilots. They are all incredibly skilled, know how to handle their robots, and generally have many years of experience working in industrial settings.

But commercial ROV work tends to be monotonous. Many pilots I know spend the vast majority of their time inspecting pipelines and oil rigs, flying over long tracks of seafloor with little to no variation, looking for any signs of damage. When their skills are put to the test, it’s often the same repetitive motion, over and over. Even training simulations to prepare them for catastrophes cannot predict the infinite variations that could occur as an oil-rig collapses. It’s impossible to train for everything.

Until you throw a biologist into the mix.

Kevin Costner shows off his Oilspill Clean-up Machine

May 23, 2010 Andrew Thaler 1 Comment

Conservation, Science