|
|
|||
|
Monk Seal Latest News
23rd June, 2010
YouTube, June 22, 2010A 22 June 2010 post to YouTube [Seal Spotted in Limassol] states: “Driving along the Limassol coast, i spotted a Seal on the to Governors beach. I have a feeling it was a Monk Seal which is considered as the second most endangered species on the planet with less than 500 of them left.” 10th June, 2010
Press Watch, Hawai’i Magazine.com, 9 June 2010
Hawaii Lt. Gov. James “Duke” Aiona signed Senate Bill 2441 into law, making the intentional harassing, harming or killing of a monk seal—or any endangered or threatened Hawaii species—a class C felony. The new Hawaii law extends punishment already imposed by violations of the federal Endangered Species Act, to include a fine of up to $50,000 and five years in prison. [...] 3rd June, 2010
This issue of The Monachus Guardian brings a special focus to the Mediterranean monk seals shot and dynamited in the Eastern Mediterranean since January. What is actually being done to eliminate the single most serious mortality threat confronting the species? HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CURRENT ISSUE: Hawaiian News: Seal numbers continue to dive… Mediterranean News: Greece: Alarming numbers of dead seals… Mauritania: Record births at Cabo Blanco… Turkey: Monk seal deaths in the Turkish Aegean… New population size assessment study in the NE Mediterranean… Cover Story: Markos’ Case: Trauma, treatment, and reflections, by Emily Joseph. In Focus I: Monk seal killed by dynamite blast in the Aegean, by Anastasia Miliou. In Focus II: Nefeli’s rehabilitation: methods, results, and challenges, by Emily Joseph. Perspectives: The world’s two remaining monk seal species: how many different ways are there of being Critically Endangered? by Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara. Research: Mediterranean monk seal, Monachus monachus, re-sighted along the Israeli coastline after more than half a century, by Aviad Scheinin, Oz Goffman, Mia Elasar and Dani Kerem… Recent Publications. 2nd May, 2010
Killings reaching ‘epidemic proportions’
The incident follows a spate of reported monk seal killings in Greece. Greek monk seal protection NGO MOm dispatched a rescue team to the site after receiving an alert from the Port Police Authority on 27 April. Estimated at 4 months of age, the male weaned pup was found stranded on the secluded beach of Madoudi in northern Evia. Initial examination on site revealed that it had suffered severe trauma, the bullet entering one side of the head and cutting through the animal’s nasal cavity, before exiting on the other. Following emergency first aid, the pup was transferred to the Veterinary School of the University of Thessalonica, for further examination and treatment by Professor Natassa Komninou and MOm personnel. X-rays confirmed that ‘Markos’ — as the pup was subsequently named by MOm — suffered a bullet wound to the head, resulting in the loss of his right eye and a serious fracture to his upper jaw. 2nd May, 2010
If you have Spanish-language friends or colleagues who you think might be interested in the publication, please let them know. The Spanish translation can be accessed at: http://www.monachus-guardian.org/spanish. 16th April, 2010
Press Watch, Honolulu Star Bulletin, April 16, 2010 A female monk seal, nicknamed Mikala, was found drowned Tuesday, wrapped in a gillnet off of Bellows Beach. The state Department of Land and Natural Resources is investigating the apparent drowning of a 9 1/2 -month-old Hawaiian monk seal that was discovered tangled in a gillnet—the sixth such death since 1976. At 10:26 a.m. Tuesday, the female monk seal, identified by scientists as RA14, was spotted floating off Bellows Beach. Lifeguards discovered the seal wrapped in a monofilament gillnet and pulled her from the water. Necropsy results determined the seal, nicknamed Mikala, died of an apparent drowning due to the entanglement. [...] The Conservation and Resources Enforcement Division seized the netting as part of its investigation. It is unknown who owns the net. Under state law all lay nets must be registered with the Department of Land and Natural Resources. It is unlawful to leave a lay net unattended for more than a half-hour. Nets also must be inspected within two hours after they are set. Hawaiian monk seals are protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Killing one is punishable by up to a year in jail and a $50,000 fine. [...] 12th April, 2010
Press Watch, Hürriyet Daily News, April 12, 2010
The problem is that Badem is far too happy to be with humans and likes nothing better than to take a break by jumping into a dinghy for forty winks. This all sounds very delightful, and sure enough, last month she was found in a dinghy near Marmaris, recuperating from her long swim from Rhodes back to Turkey where she likes to spend the summer months. According to Zafer Kızılkaya, a representative of SAD/AFAG, “she was resting in a dinghy, but it seems some people took advantage of this, and we received reports that some people were kicking her and throwing stones at her. Unfortunately the attitude of many Turkish people is that, when they see an animal like Badem, they want to play with her, but really it’s more like torture. This is quite intolerable.” → Continue reading Mediterranean seal Badem chooses to avoid tourist season 11th April, 2010
Press Watch, Honolulu Advertiser, April 11, 2010Navy pays for devices that also gauge how sonar affects species
The critically endangered animals will wear small transmitters that reveal their movements, including how deep they dive, when they haul out on land and how far they roam. Accumulating normal habits of the seals also will be used to gauge the effect Navy training exercises, including use of sonar, may have on the animals. The Navy is footing the bill for the $4,500-each transmitters, NOAA scientists’ travel and veterinary costs associated with the project. The project is slated to last several years. → Continue reading High-tech transmitters giving up secret lives of Hawaiian seals |
|||
|
The views expressed by outside contributors do not necessarily reflect those of The Monachus Guardian. Copyright © 2010 Monk Seal Latest News - All Rights ReservedPowered by WordPress & the Atahualpa Theme by BytesForAll. |
|||
A bill seeking tougher penalties for anyone caught intentionally harming the Hawaiian monk seal, or other endangered Hawaii species, became state law this week.
Badem, probably the most famous Mediterranean Monk Seal, is back in Turkey after taking herself on a tour of the Greek island of Rhodes during the winter months. [...]