Black Whales
Subjet : BP Oil Spill
The cumulated amount of oil in the ocean is estimated to range between a low bracket of 300,000 and high a high bracket of 500,000 tons. The Gulf of Mexico has a surface area of 1,500,000 km²; on May 2nd fishing was prohibited within a closed area of 17,000 km². Today, the no take zone extends to 225,000 km². The sale of potentially contaminated seafood must be forbidden to avoid any risk of poisoning Americans.
Yet, other mammals feed exclusively on seafood in the Gulf of Mexico and its adjacent seas. According to NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), 29 species of marine mammals are present in the Gulf of Mexico. In “normal” conditions, they are exposed to the risk of collisions and to acoustic disturbances caused by maritime transport and the numerous offshore oil and gas platforms. Amongst marine mammals, the most vulnerable are the Manatees. Threatened with extinction, these pacific and slow moving sea cows are already victims of propellers from ships and recreational crafts. Manatees are extremely sensitive to oil spills and to the saturation of their preferred food : underwater meadows of sea grass.
Black Whales
Subjet : BP Oil Spill
The cumulated amount of oil in the ocean is estimated to range between a low bracket of 300,000 and high a high bracket of 500,000 tons. The Gulf of Mexico has a surface area of 1,500,000 km²; on May 2nd fishing was prohibited within a closed area of 17,000 km². Today, the no take zone extends to 225,000 km². The sale of potentially contaminated seafood must be forbidden to avoid any risk of poisoning Americans.
Yet, other mammals feed exclusively on seafood in the Gulf of Mexico and its adjacent seas. According to NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), 29 species of marine mammals are present in the Gulf of Mexico. In “normal” conditions, they are exposed to the risk of collisions and to acoustic disturbances caused by maritime transport and the numerous offshore oil and gas platforms. Amongst marine mammals, the most vulnerable are the Manatees. Threatened with extinction, these pacific and slow moving sea cows are already victims of propellers from ships and recreational crafts. Manatees are extremely sensitive to oil spills and to the saturation of their preferred food : underwater meadows of sea grass.
Whales Sandwiched by IWC
An array of contradictory propositions is on the table of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in Agadir.
The propositions are presumably to help the IWC to abscond the stagnation and the status quo that certain involved parties—NGO’s and member states—have criticized. “The implosion” of the commission is waved year after year as a scarecrow. What if it was the opposite! Outside the convention, Japan could no longer put forward article 8 authorizing hunting for scientific ends and would be clearly the only pirate in the Antarctic or other sanctuaries where their fleet dares to hunt whales.
Should Europe pay for the resumption of Whaling ?
The 62nd plenary session of the International Whaling Commission will be held in Agadir from June 21st to 25th. The fate of a surrealistic and double-dealing compromise will be decided there, that would confirm for 10 years Japanese, Norwegian and Icelandic whaling, from the Arctic to Antarctica. This document, a hybrid product of dialogue between a few IWC member states, includes target-species such as Fin whales, Minke whales, Humpback whales, Southern Right Whales, Bryde whales, Sei whales and Sperm whales. Of course, the return of hunting will be stamped and certified by the presence of observers aboard the whaling fleets. They will not work for charity. Their official salary is billed to the IWC and contributions made by European member states will grow from 800.000 to 1.500.000 euros per year altogether. Efforts will be made and financed too so as that whales be not exposed during capture and killing to unneeded pain. All is done to ensure the well-being of the whales while they are speared.
Hunting down the Onyx (6)
The Onyx has finished her last round of liar’s dice. The old Finnish car ferry already renamed in September before her depart from Vaasa has become too notorious under this patronymic. She was renamed “Kaptain Boris” after calling at Port-Rashid (Dubai).
Her new official owner, Red Line Shipping Ltd is hiding in the tax haven of the Marshall Islands. The ex Onyx, was previously flying a Saint-Kitts and Nevis flag which is ranked on the Memorandum of Paris’ black list as a flag of “high risk”. She has gone down a notch again and is now under a Sierra Leona flag which is listed in the Top 5, flags of “very high risk”.
Hunting down the Onyx (6)
The Onyx has finished her last round of liar’s dice. The old Finnish car ferry already renamed in September before her depart from Vaasa has become too notorious under this patronymic. She was renamed “Kaptain Boris” after calling at Port-Rashid (Dubai).
Her new official owner, Red Line Shipping Ltd is hiding in the tax haven of the Marshall Islands. The ex Onyx, was previously flying a Saint-Kitts and Nevis flag which is ranked on the Memorandum of Paris’ black list as a flag of “high risk”. She has gone down a notch again and is now under a Sierra Leona flag which is listed in the Top 5, flags of “very high risk”.
