Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
Experts Link DNA to Dolphin-Human Communications & Remarkable Healing
Puna, Hawaii - Beyond being life's blueprint, DNA plays a powerful role in newly discovered communications between dolphins and humans, according to a team of Cetacean (dolphin and whale) researchers at the Sirius Institute on the Big Island of Hawaii. An ongoing study there shows these marine mammals receive and transmit sound signals capable of affecting the genetic double helix, and using natural biotechnology, dolphins may heal humans swimming near them "sonogenetically."
Puna, Hawaii - Beyond being life's blueprint, DNA plays a powerful role in newly discovered communications between dolphins and humans, according to a team of Cetacean (dolphin and whale) researchers at the Sirius Institute on the Big Island of Hawaii. An ongoing study there shows these marine mammals receive and transmit sound signals capable of affecting the genetic double helix, and using natural biotechnology, dolphins may heal humans swimming near them "sonogenetically."
Human and Dolphin Genomes
Both the human genome (hereditary information encoded in DNA or RNA) and the dolphin genome have been sequenced and show similarities between dolphins and humansRead more at Suite101: Dolphins Offer Genetic Clues in Type 2 Diabetes: New Research Shows These Mammals May Help Develop Treatments | Suite101.com http://elizabeth-batt.suite101.com/dolphins-offer-genetic-clues-in-type-2-diabetes-a204970#ixzz1i5plZH2i
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
A Sea Shepherd supporter prosecuted for an assault on a security man in Wakayama 2011.12.28 02:12
警備男性に暴行 シー・シェパード支援者の男を起訴 和歌山
2011.12.28 02:12
和歌山地検は２７日、クジラ搬送作業の現場に立ち入ろうと警備の男性の胸を突いたとして、暴行罪で、米反捕鯨団体、シー・シェパード（ＳＳ）の支援者で、オランダ国籍のアーウィン・フェルミューレン容疑者（４２）を起訴した。
起訴状などによると、１６日午後０時４０分ごろ、太地町森浦の堤防で、ハナゴンドウクジラの搬送作業の警備にあたっていた同町の男性会社員（２３）に対し、胸を手で突くなどの暴行を加えたとしている。
On Dec 27th, Dutch national Erwin Vermeulen (42), a Sea Shepherd supporter, was charged with assault, by Wakayama District Public Prosecutors Office, for pushing a security man in the chest.
According to the indictment, at around 12:40 on Dec 16th, at a seawall in Moriura, Taiji, Erwin Vermeulen assaulted a local resident (23) employed as a security guard, during the transportation of a Hana Gondo whale (Risso's dolphin), by (among other things) pushing him in the chest. [What other things, is not stated]
起訴状などによると、１６日午後０時４０分ごろ、太地町森浦の堤防で、ハナゴンドウクジラの搬送作業の警備にあたっていた同町の男性会社員（２３）に対し、胸を手で突くなどの暴行を加えたとしている。
On Dec 27th, Dutch national Erwin Vermeulen (42), a Sea Shepherd supporter, was charged with assault, by Wakayama District Public Prosecutors Office, for pushing a security man in the chest.
According to the indictment, at around 12:40 on Dec 16th, at a seawall in Moriura, Taiji, Erwin Vermeulen assaulted a local resident (23) employed as a security guard, during the transportation of a Hana Gondo whale (Risso's dolphin), by (among other things) pushing him in the chest. [What other things, is not stated]
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Whale Meat From Whales of Antartica Whale Sanctuary Sold In Taiji (posted by a fishing co-operative in Taiji)
Whales from the town of Taiji, we sent directly to the table of everybody whale meat directly managed super Taiji fishery. Whale meat  The body-friendly, healthy meat and low-calorie triple threat ● ● High-protein low-fat ●. The whale meat to deliver to everyone, the whale was caught in the Antarctic Ocean scientific whaling, whale meat will deliver a clear criterion Welfare. Please make sure miss the taste of whale meat has been traditionally eaten as a traditional Japanese food culture. |
Fukushima Nuclear Reactor 4 Possibly Collapsing, Say Sources, Mass Evacuations May be Necessary
Natural NewsBy Ethan Huff
December 11, 2011
After enduring many months of total information blackout on the situation, an intelligence source connected with NaturalNews has just informed us that Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor 4 may now on the verge of collapsing, and that mass evacuations in northern Japan could be necessary if such a collapse occurs and is confirmed.
NaturalNews presents this only as a precautionary alert, as we have not yet been about to double or triple confirm this report, but we are actively investigating and will bring you updates in a timely manner.
Reactor 4, you may remember, had been given the silent treatment by the plant’s operator, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), immediately following the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck the fragile plant back in March. For weeks, the public was left in the dark about the status of reactor 4′s cooling pools, and about whether or not the reactor’s spent fuel rods were exposed (http://www.naturalnews.com/031758_F…).
It now appears, however, that reactor 4′s cooling tower, which had previously been reported to be leaning and in danger of falling (http://enenews.com/very-very-seriou…), is now following course with its inevitable fate, which is a possible total collapse.
クジラ搬入担当者に暴行容疑 和歌山でオランダ人逮捕
和歌山県太地町のホテル前の町道でホテル関連会社の男性
太地町のイルカ漁を批判的に描いた「ザ・コーヴ」が日本
ホテルはプールにイルカなどを泳がせて客に触れさせてい
Dutchman arrested in Wakayama on charges of violence against whale transport operator
Dec 16th, Taiji, Wakayama: Shingu police arrested a Dutchman, Erwin Vermeulen, 42, on charges of violence, on a public road in front of a hotel in Taiji, when he pushed the chest of a male employe of the hotel with the palm of his hand. Police said he claimed to be a supporter of SS and denied the charges. The employee was not injured.
Since "The Cove", a movie criticising the dolphin hunt in Taiji, was released in Japan last year, members and supporters of Sea Shepherd have been monitoring the hunt in Taiji, but this is the first time an arrest has been made.
The hotel has a pool where customers can touch dolphins. In preparing to move (a?) Risso's Dolphin into the pool, the male employee of a related company had been putting out "no-entry" cones.
和歌山県太地町のホテル前の町道でホテル関連会社の男性
太地町のイルカ漁を批判的に描いた「ザ・コーヴ」が日本
ホテルはプールにイルカなどを泳がせて客に触れさせてい
Dutchman arrested in Wakayama on charges of violence against whale transport operator
Dec 16th, Taiji, Wakayama: Shingu police arrested a Dutchman, Erwin Vermeulen, 42, on charges of violence, on a public road in front of a hotel in Taiji, when he pushed the chest of a male employe of the hotel with the palm of his hand. Police said he claimed to be a supporter of SS and denied the charges. The employee was not injured.
Since "The Cove", a movie criticising the dolphin hunt in Taiji, was released in Japan last year, members and supporters of Sea Shepherd have been monitoring the hunt in Taiji, but this is the first time an arrest has been made.
The hotel has a pool where customers can touch dolphins. In preparing to move (a?) Risso's Dolphin into the pool, the male employee of a related company had been putting out "no-entry" cones.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Dolphin Dies After Jumping onto Concrete Floor at Nagoya Aquarium
According to the aquarium, the accident happened at about 2 p.m. Saturday. Sara, a Pacific white-sided dolphin thought to be about 17 years old, jumped about six to eight meters above the water surface, flew through the air in an arc and landed chest-first on a concrete floor.The dolphin had been living at the aquarium since being captured in 2008 near Taiji (the town from “The Cove”).
A Japanese to English Translation
Traditional whaling birthplace, Kishu Taiji harbor at Valley stores-issue whales, Taiji coastal whaling, whaling in the Kumano-nada, and research whaling in Japanese waters, or through our processing plant in whale products were captured in each case Fresh We. Whale town, Taiji is free from the Japanese government whaling is permitted.
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The historical background of the formation
Harpooning was the whaling method used during that time, but since when a whale dies it goes down to the bottom of the ocean, timing was crucial. So after years later, just before a whale died, 2 ships would come along the side of the whale, and a log was used to connect the 2 ships, and ropes would be used to tie the whale.
Since this harpooning method wasn't very successful at that time, whaling in Kumano ended after 2 years. (This information obtained from "The History of Whaling in Higashimurou Ward, Wakayama Prefecture" published in the 7th year of Showa).
During the 4th year of Genna (1618), Wada Kinwemon Yoriteru, the eldest son of Chubeh Yorimoto, revived his father's whaling business. He employed Yoheiji of Onozaki Bay, Chita Ward in Bishu (Aichi Prefecture) as a "hazashi" (the person in charge of harpooning).
Others outside of Kumano, have also started whaling, as a result, the supply of whales began decreasing gradually.
Wada Kinwemon Yoriteru had three sons, the eldest, Kinwemon Yorioki, the second oldest son, Kakuwemon Yoriharu and the youngest, Jurouwemon (or Hanroku) Yorinao. The eldest son, Kinwemon Yorioki inherited his father's business, but due to illness, the second son , Kakuwemon Yoriharu assisted and ran most of the whaling business. The Kinwemon Whaling Group consisted of 3 smaller whaling groups: Kinwemon Yorioki's group, Kakuwemon Yoriharu's group and Chubeh Yorinori's group.
In the 2nd year of Kambun (1662), the whaling ships became painted, and there were 15 members in the crew, using 8 sets of oars, they were able to run at high speed, the duties of the crew became specialized and more efficient . In the 3rd year of Empou (1675), Kakuwemon became mayor of the Outa area, which consisted of 20 villages around the Taiji Bay and entered into the agreement "The Whale Thrust Law" with mayors of seven other bay areas (Taiji Bay, Moriura Bay, Uragami Bay, Shimosato Bay, Katsuura Bay, Ugui Bay and Miwasaki Bay).
This agreement was to limit indiscriminate whale hunting and settle disputes between rival whaling groups, which had become violent at times, due to the decreasing supply of whales. The supply of White Whales, Sperm Whales and Grey Whales had become limited at that time, but there still was an abundant supply of the Humpback Whales.
One day, Wada Kakuwemon watching a cicada caught in a web of a spider, came up with the idea of using a net to capture whales. So in the 5th year of Empou (1677), Kakuwemon developed the whale method of capturing whales with a net, then harpooning the whale to kill it. Before the whale died, the whale is drawn near the ship and a rope is tied around the whale's nose to prevent the whale from going down after dying. Eventually, other whaling groups withdrew, Kakuwemon Yoriharu continued using the method of using a net to catch whales and he was successful in capturing the humpback whale. In the 3rd year of Tenna (1683), The Kakuwemon Whaling Group captured 91 Humpback Whales, 2 White Whales and 3 Grey Whales and became famous worldwide. Wada Kakuwemon was recognized by the second Kishu clan master, Tokugawa Mitsusada, for his accomplishments in the whaling industry and was granted the family name of Taiji.
of
the Taiji Bay Whaling Office in Japan
During the 11th year of Keicho (1606), Wada Chubeh Yorimoto, the mayor of Taiji, along with Iwemon of Sakai in Senshu (Osaka Prefecture) and Denji of Morozaki Bay in Bishu (Aichi Prefecture), were the first ones to start whaling in Kumano. Harpooning was the whaling method used during that time, but since when a whale dies it goes down to the bottom of the ocean, timing was crucial. So after years later, just before a whale died, 2 ships would come along the side of the whale, and a log was used to connect the 2 ships, and ropes would be used to tie the whale.
Since this harpooning method wasn't very successful at that time, whaling in Kumano ended after 2 years. (This information obtained from "The History of Whaling in Higashimurou Ward, Wakayama Prefecture" published in the 7th year of Showa).
During the 4th year of Genna (1618), Wada Kinwemon Yoriteru, the eldest son of Chubeh Yorimoto, revived his father's whaling business. He employed Yoheiji of Onozaki Bay, Chita Ward in Bishu (Aichi Prefecture) as a "hazashi" (the person in charge of harpooning).
Others outside of Kumano, have also started whaling, as a result, the supply of whales began decreasing gradually.
Wada Kinwemon Yoriteru had three sons, the eldest, Kinwemon Yorioki, the second oldest son, Kakuwemon Yoriharu and the youngest, Jurouwemon (or Hanroku) Yorinao. The eldest son, Kinwemon Yorioki inherited his father's business, but due to illness, the second son , Kakuwemon Yoriharu assisted and ran most of the whaling business. The Kinwemon Whaling Group consisted of 3 smaller whaling groups: Kinwemon Yorioki's group, Kakuwemon Yoriharu's group and Chubeh Yorinori's group.
In the 2nd year of Kambun (1662), the whaling ships became painted, and there were 15 members in the crew, using 8 sets of oars, they were able to run at high speed, the duties of the crew became specialized and more efficient . In the 3rd year of Empou (1675), Kakuwemon became mayor of the Outa area, which consisted of 20 villages around the Taiji Bay and entered into the agreement "The Whale Thrust Law" with mayors of seven other bay areas (Taiji Bay, Moriura Bay, Uragami Bay, Shimosato Bay, Katsuura Bay, Ugui Bay and Miwasaki Bay).
This agreement was to limit indiscriminate whale hunting and settle disputes between rival whaling groups, which had become violent at times, due to the decreasing supply of whales. The supply of White Whales, Sperm Whales and Grey Whales had become limited at that time, but there still was an abundant supply of the Humpback Whales.
One day, Wada Kakuwemon watching a cicada caught in a web of a spider, came up with the idea of using a net to capture whales. So in the 5th year of Empou (1677), Kakuwemon developed the whale method of capturing whales with a net, then harpooning the whale to kill it. Before the whale died, the whale is drawn near the ship and a rope is tied around the whale's nose to prevent the whale from going down after dying. Eventually, other whaling groups withdrew, Kakuwemon Yoriharu continued using the method of using a net to catch whales and he was successful in capturing the humpback whale. In the 3rd year of Tenna (1683), The Kakuwemon Whaling Group captured 91 Humpback Whales, 2 White Whales and 3 Grey Whales and became famous worldwide. Wada Kakuwemon was recognized by the second Kishu clan master, Tokugawa Mitsusada, for his accomplishments in the whaling industry and was granted the family name of Taiji.
News from Taiji Fishery (copied from one of their reports)
 | This season is bad. |  | |||||
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Japanese Police Raid Sea Shepherd Cove Guardians
Sandy McElhaney,
December 18, 2011 - In the wake of the arrest earlier this week of Dutch Citizen and Cove Guardian volunteer Erwin Vermeulen, Sea Shepherd Founder Paul Watson has just now reported on the social media facebook:
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Russian Icebreaker On Race to Rescue Whales
- Analysis by Kieran Mulvaney
The Arctic can be an unforgiving realm, and even its most adept inhabitants at times struggle with the potentially fatal obstacles it places in front of them.
The beluga is a case in point. Like other toothed whales, it uses echolocation, or sonar, to help find its way around; the echolocation of a beluga, however, seems to be particularly finely tuned and adept at finding even the narrowest of cracks and leads in the ice that forms on the sea surface.
Sometimes, however, even that ability is outmatched by the challenges of an Arctic winter. On occasion, ice cover may be so extensive that all the belugas in the area are forced to use the nearest available patch of open water, known as a polynya; as a result, that patch of water can seem positively inundated with bobbing white heads and the exhalation of whale breath. In such cases, the best scenario for the belugas is that other leads open up and they can find their way to food and safety; the worst scenario is that even this oasis either freezes over or becomes a magnet for polar bears, which have been known to take advantage of such circumstances to engage in a kind of feeding frenzy, reaching in and hauling trapped belugas on to the ice.
PHOTOS: Animals at RiskIt is uncertain how often this may happen, but given the extent and hostility of the Arctic, it can be assumed to be not infrequent; however, humans are rarely around to see it happen. There are some records: In Disko Bay, Greenland, at least 1,000 belugas were trapped in 1915, and up to 3,000 in 1955. In 1984, some 3,000 belugas were trapped in Senyavina Strait, off the Bering Sea in late December. A Russian icebreaker, the Moskva, was able to clear a channel through 12-foot thick ice to free the whales in late February. Roughly 2,000 whales escaped, and slightly more than 500 were taken by Native hunters.
In 2006, approximately 250 belugas were similarly threatened by encircling ice near Tuktoyaktuk in Canada's Northwest Territories; many found a way to freedom, but when it became clear that the remaining 50 or so almost certainly would not, local Inuvialuit killed them for food.
Right now, another 100 or so belugas are trapped in far eastern Russia, in the Sinyavinsky Strait off the Bering Sea near the village of Yanrakynnot. According to CNN: "Fishermen reported that the whales were concentrated in two relatively small ice holes, where, for now, they can breathe freely. But the belugas' chance of swimming back to water is slim due to the vast fields of ice over the strait. The whales have little food, and the ice flow is increasing ... They are at risk of rapid exhaustion and, ultimately, death by starvation or suffocation."
The government of the Chukotka Autonomous Region has asked Moscow to send an icebreaker to the region, to cut a path through which the belugas can swim to liberty. But the nearest icebreaker, the Rubin, is two days' steaming away, having just rescued the crew of a Korean cargo ship that ran aground off Chukotka.
Will Russian authorities be able to save the whales? Or will the Arctic have the final say? For the belugas, time is running out.
BLOG: Crowdsourcing Whale Songs
BLOG: Whale and Dolphin Games?
IMAGES:
Photograph of belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) in open water in Hudson Bay, Canada, by Ansgar Walk, via Wikimedia Commons.
Beluga whale adults in a breathing hole amidst the pack ice during Spring migration, Chukchi Sea, off shore from the Arctic coastal village of Barrow, Alaska, in 2009. (Steven Kazlowski, Corbis)
Monday, December 12, 2011
New Study Shows Dolphins Talk Like Humans
Dolphins don't whistle, but communicate using a method that's similar to the way humans talkTHE GIST
Dolphins produce sounds much as humans do, and don’t whistle as was previously thought.
All toothed whales probably communicate in a similar way, since they have anatomy comparable to that of dolphins.
The hope is humans will eventually be able to understand and possibly even communicate with dolphins.
Dolphins do not whistle, but instead “talk” to each other using a process very similar to the way that humans communicate, according to a new study.
While many dolphin calls sound like whistles, the study found the sounds are produced by tissue vibrations analogous to the operation of vocal folds by humans and many other land-based animals.
Communicating similar to the way that humans do solves what would otherwise be a major dolphin problem.
“When we or animals are whistling, the tune is defined by the resonance frequency of some air cavity,” said Peter Madsen, lead author of the research appearing in Royal Society Biology Letters.” he problem is that when dolphins dive, their air cavities are compressed due to the increasing ambient pressure, which means that they would produce a higher and higher pitch the deeper they dive if they actually whistle.”
Madsen, a researcher in the Department of Biological Sciences at Aarhus University, and his team studied how dolphins communicate by digitizing and reanalyzing recordings made in 1977 of a 12-year-old male bottlenose dolphin.
The dolphin breathed in a “heliox” mixture consisting of 80 percent helium and 20 percent oxygen — a concoction that causes humans to sound like, as the scientists put it, Donald Duck. The reason is because the mixture has a sound speed that’s 1.74 times higher than normal air. If a person whistles after sucking in helium, the pitch of the tune will then be 1.74 times higher than if he or she whistles after breathing in just air.
“We found that the dolphin does not change pitch when it is producing sound in heliox, which means that its pitch is not defined by the size of its nasal air cavities, and hence that it is not whistling,” Madsen said. “Rather, it makes sound by making connective tissue in the nose vibrate at the frequency it wishes to produce by adjusting the muscular tension and air flow over the tissue.”
“That is the same way that we humans make sound with our vocal cords to speak,” he added.
The researchers believe the finding applies to all toothed whales, since they have similar nasal anatomy and they “all face the same problem of making sound during deep dives.”
In terms of what the dolphins are communicating, it’s known they share information about their identity, helping them to stay connected even while traveling in vast bodies of water.
Acoustics engineer John Stuart Reid and Jack Kassewitz of the organization Speak Dolphin have created an instrument known as the CymaScope that reveals detailed structures within sounds, allowing their architecture to be studied pictorially.
Similar to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs, the researchers may then be able to figure out the meaning of dolphin calls. In addition to the whistle-like sounds, dolphins produce chirps and click trains, suggesting they engage in very complex and sophisticated social interactions.
“There is strong evidence that dolphins are able to ‘see’ with sound, much like humans use ultrasound to see an unborn child in the mother’s womb,” Kassewitz said. “The CymaScope provides our first glimpse into what the dolphins might be ‘seeing’ with their sounds.”
He added, “I believe that people around the world would love the opportunity to speak with a dolphin. And I feel certain that dolphins would love the chance to speak with us — if for no other reason than self-preservation.”
Yet another interesting component of the new research is demonstrating how animals can evolve an ability, lose it, and then evolve it again. The land-based ancestors of dolphins likely produced sounds as humans do, lost that skill when they went into water, and then evolved it again, but by “using a completely different anatomy in their noses,” Madsen said.
As for actual whistling, dolphins can be trained to do it, just as humans sometimes whistle for fun, but Madsen doesn’t “think they do it in the wild, because they have evolved a much more effective way to make the same sound.”
*In my "Fish Don't Talk" video, dolphin is talking to me.
*In my "Fish Don't Talk" video, dolphin is talking to me.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
History of the Ninja adapted from "Ninpo: Living and Thinking as a Warrior" © 1988 Jack Hoban
Ninjutsu was created in central Honshu (the largest of the Japanese islands) about eleven hundred years ago. It was developed by mountain-dwelling families in an area not unlike the American Appalachians, where the terrain is rugged and remote. Ninja families were great observers of nature. They felt a close connection to the Earth, similar to the Native Americans, and their lifestyle was one that lived according to the laws of Nature, not against it. Ninja were also very spiritual people, and their beliefs became an integral part of Ninjutsu.
One of the spiritual influences was Shinto, "the way of the kami." Kami is the Japanese word for "god" or "deity." It implies, however, a feeling for a sacred or charismatic force, rather than a being. The early Japanese regarded their whole world: the rivers, mountains, lakes, and trees, to have their own energy and spirit.
One of the spiritual influences was Shinto, "the way of the kami." Kami is the Japanese word for "god" or "deity." It implies, however, a feeling for a sacred or charismatic force, rather than a being. The early Japanese regarded their whole world: the rivers, mountains, lakes, and trees, to have their own energy and spirit.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Some Dolphin Killing Statistics
2010/2011 Season (01-Sep-2010 - 04-May-2011):
For the season 2010/2011 occuring between the dates of September 1st, 2010 & May 4th, 2011 a total of 1,297 animals have been captured and driven into the cove at Taiji, Japan. Of this total 849 (65%) have been killed, 181 (14%) have been released and 98 (8%) have been sold to the captive display industry. The status of the remaining 169 individuals is unknown. Species captured, sold & killed include: Bottlenose Dolphins (T. gilli), Risso's Dolphins (G. griseus), Striped Dolphins (S. coeruleoalba), Pantropical Spotted Dolphins (Stenella attenuata), Pacific White-sided Dolphins (L. obliquidens) and Short-finned Pilot Whales (G. macrorhynchus).
Drive Hunt Results, Figure 1. Results by species are listed below:
For the season 2010/2011 occuring between the dates of September 1st, 2010 & May 4th, 2011 a total of 1,297 animals have been captured and driven into the cove at Taiji, Japan. Of this total 849 (65%) have been killed, 181 (14%) have been released and 98 (8%) have been sold to the captive display industry. The status of the remaining 169 individuals is unknown. Species captured, sold & killed include: Bottlenose Dolphins (T. gilli), Risso's Dolphins (G. griseus), Striped Dolphins (S. coeruleoalba), Pantropical Spotted Dolphins (Stenella attenuata), Pacific White-sided Dolphins (L. obliquidens) and Short-finned Pilot Whales (G. macrorhynchus).
Drive Hunt Results, Figure 1. Results by species are listed below:
Bottlenose: 700 total animals caught, 311 killed, 62 sold to aquariums & 158 released
Pilot Whale, Short-finned: 50 total animals caught, 35 killed, 2 sold to aquariums & 13 released
Risso's Dolphin: 238 total animals caught, 220 killed, 11 sold to aquariums & 7 released
Spotted Dolphin, Pantropical: 30 animals caught, 30 killed, 0 sold to aquariums & 0 released
Striped Dolphin: 253 total animals caught, 251 killed, 2 sold to aquariums & 0 released
White-sided Dolphin, Pacific: 26 total animals caught, 2 killed, 21 sold to aquariums & 3 released
Pilot Whale, Short-finned: 50 total animals caught, 35 killed, 2 sold to aquariums & 13 released
Risso's Dolphin: 238 total animals caught, 220 killed, 11 sold to aquariums & 7 released
Spotted Dolphin, Pantropical: 30 animals caught, 30 killed, 0 sold to aquariums & 0 released
Striped Dolphin: 253 total animals caught, 251 killed, 2 sold to aquariums & 0 released
White-sided Dolphin, Pacific: 26 total animals caught, 2 killed, 21 sold to aquariums & 3 released
Friday, December 9, 2011
Dead Orcas In Korea?
December 9, 2011
Anyone know any the details regarding what is shown in these pics (full photoset is here)?
UPDATE: Thanks to commenter Anita for finding this article, which (via a very messy Google translate) seems to say that three orcas (one male and two females) were bycatch and died in a fishing net. It also seems (and the Google translation was very hard to understand, so can’t be sure) that the Korean fisheries authorities found the orcas being sold via an illegal auction and are investigating.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Back to Taiji: One for All and All for One
There are so many things about the villages of Taiji and Kii Katsuura that i care so much about..the people, marine life...and the beautiful raw environment these villages are surrounded by...
Everything seems to stay the same here...the hotel put me in to the same room...same breakfast each morning...the bike with the little basket that I rode last year is in the same spot where I left it. And the same faces around town....with no one seeming to age here. The only change since returning is that they switched the women's cave onsen with the men's .... And i found myself in the men's onsen! (a warning to the ladies). And now the joke some guys are asking me around town is "when will you be going to the onsen!?".
Nice to hear the people who live here refer to each other as family...and most have a way of making you feel at home. The mentality here is.... one for all and all for one as a Muketeer would say. But that same positive mentality is a double edge sword. To go against the grain and speak out could threaten one's support base and livelihood in small towns like Taiji and Kii Katsuura. The lack of employment here underscores how important it is for the villagers to have that acceptance and support from each other. It is my hope that by more jobs being created through eco-tourism and wild dolphin tours.. that real changes will happen in dolphin protection. And when this does happen, the towns will realize how much more valuable the dolphins are alive, wild and well.
When Typhoon Talas killed 30 people here, a while back, my heart sank...And I was even more devastated to learn that my sweet friend Saki had been taken along with her mother by the surging waters from the river and mudslide. This tragedy...leaves me with a deeper sensitivity and bond to the well being of this place.
Everything seems to stay the same here...the hotel put me in to the same room...same breakfast each morning...the bike with the little basket that I rode last year is in the same spot where I left it. And the same faces around town....with no one seeming to age here. The only change since returning is that they switched the women's cave onsen with the men's .... And i found myself in the men's onsen! (a warning to the ladies). And now the joke some guys are asking me around town is "when will you be going to the onsen!?".
Nice to hear the people who live here refer to each other as family...and most have a way of making you feel at home. The mentality here is.... one for all and all for one as a Muketeer would say. But that same positive mentality is a double edge sword. To go against the grain and speak out could threaten one's support base and livelihood in small towns like Taiji and Kii Katsuura. The lack of employment here underscores how important it is for the villagers to have that acceptance and support from each other. It is my hope that by more jobs being created through eco-tourism and wild dolphin tours.. that real changes will happen in dolphin protection. And when this does happen, the towns will realize how much more valuable the dolphins are alive, wild and well.
When Typhoon Talas killed 30 people here, a while back, my heart sank...And I was even more devastated to learn that my sweet friend Saki had been taken along with her mother by the surging waters from the river and mudslide. This tragedy...leaves me with a deeper sensitivity and bond to the well being of this place.
Walking along the river i passed ripped t-shirts, jeans...dvds...a remote control...and a shoe. I kept thinking of my dear friend each time i came across a belonging...
Next to this river was a little swimming pool, I once swam in..
This river stream tore through Kii-Katsuura a few months ago taking 30 lives. As I walked along the river, saw many lingering reminders of the disaster. The town works hard day and night in cleaning up the memory.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
TOKYO - Japan's crippled nuclear power plant leaked about 45 tons of highly radioactive water from a purification device over the weekend, its operator said, and some may have drained into the ocean.
The leak is a reminder of the difficulties facing Tokyo Electric Power Co. as it tries to meet its goal of bringing the tsunami-damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant to a cold shutdown by year's end.
A pool of radioactive water was discovered midday Sunday around a decontamination device, TEPCO said in a statement on its website. After the equipment was turned off, the leak appeared to stop. Later, workers found a crack in a concrete barrier leaking the contaminated water into a gutter that leads to the ocean.
TEPCO estimated about 300 litres leaked out before the crack was blocked with sandbags.
Officials were checking whether any water had reached the nearby ocean.
The leakage of radioactive water from the Fukushima plant into the Pacific Ocean in the weeks after the March 11 accident caused widespread concern that seafood in the coastal waters would be contaminated.
The pooled water around the purification device was measured Sunday at 16,000 bequerels per litre of cesium-134, and 29,000 bequerels per litre of cesium-137, TEPCO said. That's 270 times and 322 times higher, respectively, than government safety limits, according to the Citizens' Nuclear Information Center in Tokyo.
Cesium-137 is dangerous because it can last for decades in the environment, releasing cancer-causing radiation. The half-life of cesium-134 is about two years, while the half-life of cesium-137 is about 30 years.
TEPCO is using the purification devices to decontaminate water that has been cooling the reactors. Three of the plant's reactor cores mostly melted down when the March 11 tsunami knocked out the plant's cooling system.
The leak is a reminder of the difficulties facing Tokyo Electric Power Co. as it tries to meet its goal of bringing the tsunami-damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant to a cold shutdown by year's end.
A pool of radioactive water was discovered midday Sunday around a decontamination device, TEPCO said in a statement on its website. After the equipment was turned off, the leak appeared to stop. Later, workers found a crack in a concrete barrier leaking the contaminated water into a gutter that leads to the ocean.
TEPCO estimated about 300 litres leaked out before the crack was blocked with sandbags.
Officials were checking whether any water had reached the nearby ocean.
The leakage of radioactive water from the Fukushima plant into the Pacific Ocean in the weeks after the March 11 accident caused widespread concern that seafood in the coastal waters would be contaminated.
The pooled water around the purification device was measured Sunday at 16,000 bequerels per litre of cesium-134, and 29,000 bequerels per litre of cesium-137, TEPCO said. That's 270 times and 322 times higher, respectively, than government safety limits, according to the Citizens' Nuclear Information Center in Tokyo.
Cesium-137 is dangerous because it can last for decades in the environment, releasing cancer-causing radiation. The half-life of cesium-134 is about two years, while the half-life of cesium-137 is about 30 years.
TEPCO is using the purification devices to decontaminate water that has been cooling the reactors. Three of the plant's reactor cores mostly melted down when the March 11 tsunami knocked out the plant's cooling system.
Massive Sea-floor Shove Triggered Japan's Tsunami
By Crystal Gammon | LiveScience.com – Fri, 2 Dec, 2011But exactly how much the earth moved in the quake has been unclear — until now.
A new look at the sea floor before and after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake reveals massive shifts in the ocean crust. Energy from the uplifted sea floor — which was thrust 164 feet (50 meters) horizontally and 33 feet (10 meters) vertically — triggered the immense tsunami waves that struck the coast of Japan.
An 'abnormally huge' earthquake
The magnitude of the Tohoku quake made it possible for scientists to detect the shift with common sea-floor-survey techniques, something that "has never been done before," said Toshiya Fujiwara, a geophysicist at the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology.
"This earthquake was extraordinarily, abnormally huge," Fujiwara told OurAmazingPlanet.
Fujiwara's team used multibeam bathymetric surveys — which use echolocation to measure water depth and the shape of the underlying sea floor — to map areas around the Japan Trench after the quake. The team compared it with similar data taken in 1999 and 2004 from the same swath of sea floor. The difference between the data sets revealed large displacements in the ocean crust — more than 100 times greater than shifts measured after other earthquakes.
"We didn't expect the displacement to be detected by using such an ordinary sea-floor-survey instrument," Fujiwara said. "Crustal movement usually happens on a millimeter- or centimeter-scale, not over 10s of meters."
The 2005 7.2-magnitude Miyagi earthquake, for example, registered a shift of 4 inches (10 centimeters) at a geodetic station near the Japan Trench. The 2011 Tohoku quake measured 49 feet (15 meters) at the same station, said Fujiwara — larger by more than two orders of magnitude. In other words, most quakes give the sea floor a gentle nudge, but the Tohoku quake gave it a huge shove.
Massive consequences
In addition to the 33-foot (10-meter) vertical shift, a large slab of ocean crust between the Japan Trench and the Honshu coast was boosted upward another 12-18 feet (4-6 meters) or more, Fujiwara's team found.
This uplift helped generate the "massive pulsating pattern of tsunami waves" that hit Japan, the team explains in their paper, which will appear in the Dec. 2 issue of the journal Science. [History's Biggest Tsunamis]
The fault that shifted the ocean crust so dramatically likely extends all the way to the axis of the Japan Trench, Fujiwara said, further highlighting the magnitude of the Tohoku quake.
"Previously, we thought the displacement stopped somewhere underground," Fujiwara said, "but this earthquake destroyed the entire plate boundary."
This story was provided by OurAmazingPlanet, a sister site to LiveScience.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
BlueVoice investigates correlation between contaminants in marine mammals and human cancer clusters
A National Academy of Sciences committee stated "PCBs pose the largest potential carcinogenic risk of any environmental contaminant for which measurements exist."BlueVoice.org has joined Dr. Brian Durie, an internationally recognized specialist in the bone marrow cancer Multiple Myeloma, in research correlating populations of marine mammals burdened by high levels of toxins with human cancer hot spots on adjacent shores. Early results are compelling. It appears that marine mammals, such as the killer whales off Seattle, are sentinels warning us of dangerous contamination of the seas.
Dr. Durie, chairman of the board of the International Myeloma Foundation – http://www.myeloma.org - has just published the following paper on the connection between toxins, including those in the marine environment, with multiple myeloma. It is likely that correlations to other forms of cancer will emerge. Dr. Durie’s paper won recognition as a “Best of ASH” abstract at a recent meeting of the American Society of Hematologists.
The International Myeloma Foundation Identifies Potential Link Between Genetic Pathways and Environmental Risks For Myeloma
Toxins in Resident Coastal Dolphins Signal Dangers of Human Cancer
THE INTERNATIONAL MYELOMA FOUNDATION IDENTIFIES POTENTIAL LINK BETWEEN GENETIC PATHWAYS AND ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS FOR MYELOMA
North Hollywood, CA, and Atlanta, GA, December 11, 2007 - The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) http://www.myeloma.org — today said findings from its myeloma DNA bank identified genetic links to bone disease in multiple myeloma, a cancer of cells in the bone marrow, that in some cases can also include bone deterioration. These findings also may both support and explain associations that have been observed between environmental toxins such as dioxins and benzene, and an increased risk for myeloma. The findings were made with resources from Bank On A Cure® (BOAC), the world's first repository of DNA samples created to advance the understanding of myeloma. They were presented at the 49th Annual Meeting of The American Society of Hematology in Atlanta on December 11th.The study found that genetic pathways associated with the ability to neutralize environmental toxins are defective in patients with classic myeloma (myeloma with bone involvement). These pathways are identified as specific segments of genes called single nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs that are known to be associated with toxin metabolism and DNA repair. These findings are in line with observations of patient populations and groups of workers including firefighters that had previously demonstrated a correlation between increased risk for myeloma and exposure to hydrocarbons and related chemicals.
"Identifying these genetic pathways was unexpected," said Brian G.M. Durie. M.D., chairman of the International Myeloma Foundation and lead author of the BOAC presentation. "We were looking at bone biology and the SNPs associated with toxin metabolism fell into place. Now, working back through the gene pathways, we have a robust model of myeloma bone disease that may explain the epidemiological observations."
*Abstract #816: "Genetic Polymorphisms Identify the Likelihood of Bone Disease in Myeloma: Correlations with Myeloma Cell DKK1 Expression and High Risk Gene Signatures".
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[5062] New Bioaccumulations of Toxins in Resident Coastal Dolphins Signal Dangers of Human Myeloma.
Session Type: Publication Only
Brian G.M. Durie, Hardy Jones Aptium Oncology, Inc, Cedars-Sinai Outpatient Cancer Center, LosAngeles, CA, USA; Bluevoice. Com, Petaluma, CA, USA
Dolphins and humans are exposed to the same toxins in seafood. Over 2 billion people worldwide rely on seafood as their major source of protein and 60% of people live in coastal areas. Resident coastal dolphins are exposed to marine pollution in the same fashion as humans who frequently consume seafood, thus any indication of disease in dolphins has implications both for humans who eat regularly from the same areas and/or are otherwise exposed to the same toxins.
Although ecotoxicologic studies of marine environments are very complex, (Irwin: Aquatic Mammals 31:195-225, 2005), the bottlenose dolphin is a sentinel species for biomonitoring purposes. Tissue levels of many known carcinogens such as DDT, DDE, dioxins (e.g. PCDDs and 2,3,7,8 TCDD), BaP, PAHs, and more recently PFC and PBDEs (water repellants and fire retardants), reflect bioaccumulation in both dolphins and humans. Target sites where human and dolphin disease have been contrasted and compared are: North America (Alaska; Puget Sound; San Francisco Bay; Gulf Coast and Florida; St. Lawrence Seaway); Japan (Osaka Bay); Sweden; Coastal UK and Hong Kong (Pearl River estuary). For Alaska, Florida, Japan, Sweden and coastal UK, there are highly significant correlations between fish contamination/ consumption and excess risk of human myeloma. In Alaska, Inuit men eat contaminated fish, have high organochloride (dioxins) levels in blood and tissues and an increased risk of myeloma. Likewise for Swedish fisherman comparing Baltic (more contamination) versus west coast levels of dioxins and myeloma. In Japan, a case control study provides a highly significant odds ratio of 5.89 for agriculture/ fisheries as occupational factors. A separate study gives an annual age adjusted incidence of 7.03/100,000 for the Osaka Bay fishing region. Around Lake Okeechobee Florida an incidence rate of 6.52/100,000 correlates with both contamination and commercial fishing licenses.
Although dolphins share most human mammalian genes, including CYP1A and CYP2B, they lack the ability to adequately catabolize type I and II dioxins, which therefore preferentially accumulate. Unfortunately, observed results of these bioaccumulations are suppressed immunity, infections and cancers particularly Bcell lymphomas and myeloma-like immunoblastic lymphomas (Bossart: J. Vet Diagn Invest 9: 454-458, 1997). This pattern of diseases in turn corresponds with the local and systemic effects exemplified in Balb/c mice during pristane-induced plasmacytogenesis and in humans exposed to toxins.
Newly recognized persistent organic pollutants such as water repellants (PFCs) and flame-retardants
(PBDEs) are a particular concern, both because of rapid recent bioaccumulation in dolphins with associated disease manifestations plus the potential for wide global dispersal and diverse routes of human exposure. Numerous consumer goods contain PBDEs, including electronics, carpets, furniture and textiles. Genetic studies help refine probability calculations to assess risk using the union rule for independent events.
Studies are now underway to correlate recent bioaccumulations in dolphins and humans, genetic
predisposition and myeloma onset. Probability calculations for risk of developing myeloma will support
interventions to reduce both contamination of the marine environment and elimination of human toxin
exposures.
Abstract #5062 appears in Blood, Volume 108, issue 11, November 16, 2006
Keywords: Prevention|Epidemiology|Risk factor
Publication Only
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