Rescue for the remaining Two surviving Sperm Whales continues in Tasmania whale tragedy after 22 Died - 14th Nov 2011

Rescue for the remaining Two surviving Sperm Whales continues in Tasmania whale tragedy after 22 Died - 14th Nov 2011

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22 Sperm Whales Die in Australia

22 Sperm Whales Die in Australia

Agence France-Presse
Mon, 14 Nov 2011 01:25 CST

© Tasmania Parks And Wildlife
Steve Mansfield (L) and James Grey from the Parks and Wildlife Service tag deceased sperm whales on Ocean Beach near Strahan on Tasmania's west coast on November 1. Wildlife staff are battling wet and windy conditions as they try to save four sperm whales stranded in shallow water after 22 others die.

Rescuers were racing against the clock Monday to save two huge sperm whales stranded on a Tasmanian sandbank after 22 others died, the Parks and Wildlife Service said.

Marine mammal specialists were on site in Macquarie Harbour at Strahan on Tasmania's northwest coast, but the rescue bid was hampered by rough weather.

Twenty-two of the whales -- each weighing two tonnes and up to 12 metres (40 feet) long -- washed ashore on Saturday at Ocean Beach near Strahan, and all of them died.

Four others came into the harbour and became stranded on a sandbank. Two of these were successfully refloated and swam back out to sea, but the other two remain stuck.

Rescuers said two minke whales also got into trouble nearby and died.

Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife incident controller Chris Arthur said the sperm whales were so big that they could not simply be pulled into deeper water by volunteers, instead requiring a more complicated rescue operation.

"A specially-developed net attached to two boats has been designed to slip under a whale, enabling it to be hauled from immediate danger," he said.

"This method can be used for large animals and is very effective."

But conditions were worsening, with high winds and seas, and attempts to refloat the whales had to be postponed until Tuesday.

"Although we were unable to move the surviving whales into open water today, we are hoping conditions will improve over the next few days," Arthur said, adding that the whales were tired but still flapping their fins and blowing water.

"The weather conditions are against us at present, but managed properly, these animals can survive at least a few days."

Another problem in Strahan is its treacherous narrow channel, known as Hells Gates, through which the whales must pass to get back into deeper water.

"Pushing a large whale against sea surging through the 25-metre passage is like pushing a cork into a bottle," added Arthur.

But he expressed confidence given that seven sperm whales were saved after a similar stranding in the harbour in 2007.

The Parks and Wildlife Service said that samples had been taken from the 22 dead whales, which will remain on the beach until they decompose because they are too large to move or bury.

Explaining why they died, Arthur said: "People seem to forget that these animals breathe air. When they are caught in the surf and they are being rolled around, they are in the sand -- they can't get their blowholes up to get oxygen."

Whale beachings are relatively common in Australia and they usually occur in the summer months, particularly around Tasmania, but scientists do not know why they happen.

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Whales stranded on Tasmanian beach

Video: Whales stranded on Tasmanian beach
(7pm TV News NSW)

Map: Strahan 7468

There has been a mass stranding of 20 sperm whales on Tasmania's west coast, with only four whales stuck in shallow water believed to still be alive.

The pod was discovered on Ocean Beach near Strahan early Saturday morning, but authorities say conditions in the water are too dangerous for rescuers to intervene.

Nearby, rescuers were making progress in freeing another eight sperm whales stranded on a sand bar in Macquarie Harbour, about four kilometres south of the beach.

Chris Arthur from the Parks and Wildlife Service says four of them were swimming freely, with a fifth joining them later in the afternoon.

With the help of fish farmers and jet boats, authorities managed to free the whales, but he says getting them to open ocean from the harbour entrance proved difficult.

"The weather conditions won't allow us to get them out so it's a matter of just managing them at the moment," he said.

Rescuers will resume their bid to save the whales at first light, but say it could take several days to free the ocean giants.

Authorities are urging people to stay clear of the channel between Hells Gate and Table Head.

Photo:
22 sperm whales are stranded on Ocean Beach on Tasmania's west coast. (Audience submitted)

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Duck hunter faces jail after posting Facebook photo of 64 shot birds ... when legal limit is four kills a day

A teenager could be jailed after he posted a photo on his Facebook profile page showing 64 ducks that had been shot.

Brandon Lowry, 19, of Norco, Louisiana, has been cited by the state's Department of Wildlife and Fisheries for violating the limits set for the shooting of migratory birds.

Hunting fan Lowry posted a photo showing 64 dead blue-winged teal ducks along with 12 hunters.

Lined up: The Facebook photo showing 64 birds that led Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents to Brandon Lowry

Agents interviewed all the hunters involved and found other Facebook postings that made them believe Lowry had gone over the daily kill and possession limits.

According to the agency, Lowry admitted he shot too many birds when he was questioned by agents.

The daily limit is four birds per person per day with a two-day possession limit of eight.

Lowry told investigators he exceeded the daily limit one day and shot the legal on two other days.

Busted by Facebook: Lowry admitted shooting too many ducks, according to officials at the Louisiana agency

A spokesman for the agency did not immediately respond to queries about how many birds he actually shot.

Teal season runs from September 10 to September 25, nola.com reports.

State penalties for migratory bird violations for having over the daily and possession limits are fines between $400 and $950, or up to 120 days in jail, or both.

On top of that there are court costs plus forfeiture of anything seized.

Teals tend to be smaller than most ducks and migrate south on the edge of cold fronts that blow across the country.

The season for shooting teal tends to be earlier than other varieties.

Suspicious: More Facebook photos made agents believe they were on to a violator

According to the website ducks.org teal season is 'typically a time of sweat-mopping, mosquito-slapping and shell-popping fun. It also offers a preview/tune-up for later seasons when the big ducks arrive.'

Lowry was cited on October 27 and on Thursday the offending photo was still on his profile page.

He describes his interests as hunting, Ford trucks and partying.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2057265/Duck-hunter-faces-jail-posting-Facebook-photo-64-shot-birds.html#ixzz1cxGH2Mku

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Kenya army warns of al-Shabab donkeys in Somalia

Kenya's military has denied reports that it bombed a refugee camp last week

Kenya's military spokesman has said large groups of donkeys in Somalia will be considered "al-Shabab activity" following reports the militants are using the animals to transport weapons.

Maj Emmanuel Chirchir used Twitter to warn Kenyans not to sell their donkeys to the Islamist group.

Kenya sent troops into Somalia to establish a buffer zone, after accusing al-Shabab of cross-border kidnappings.

Al-Shabab, which controls southern Somalia, denies the allegations.

It has accused Kenya of planning a full-scale invasion of Somalia.

On Tuesday, Maj Chirchir used official Twitter account to warn that al-Shabab camps near 10 Somali towns would soon be attacked and urged residents to leave.

However, no such attacks have yet occurred.

He has also posted video which he says shows a small al-Shabab boat being sunk, killing 18 militants and warned aircraft not to land in the Islamist-held town of Baidoa, following reports that al-Shabab had been flying in new supplies of weapons.

In his latest series of tweets, the Kenyan military spokesman said that the price of donkeys had risen from $150 (£100) to $200 following the increased al-Shabab demand for the animals.

"Any large concentration and movement of loaded donkeys will be considered as al-Shabab activity," he wrote, suggesting they would be targeted by Kenyan firepower.

"Selling Donkeys to al-Shabab will undermine our efforts in Somalia," he continued.

BBC East Africa correspondent Will Ross says it is not clear whether al-Shabab are using donkeys because the muddy roads are impassable for vehicles or to avoid detection from aircraft.

Maj Chirchir also said that any "unauthorised flying over the region" would be considered a threat.

"All aircrafts are hereby warned not to land in BAIDOA. Anyone violating this will be doing so at their peril," he wrote.

Last weekend, the Kenyan military was accused of bombing a refugee camp, killing five people, including three children.

Maj Chirchir denied the accusation and said a Kenyan fighter jet had only hit al-Shabab positions in Jilib, killing 10 militia fighters.

People abducted from Kenya since September include a French woman suffering from cancer, who French authorities say has since died; a British woman taken from a coastal resort, whose husband was killed in the raid; and a Kenyan driver and two Spanish aid workers seized from the Dadaab refugee camp near the Kenya-Somalia border.

After two decades of civil conflict, Somalia is awash with guns, and analysts say any number of groups could have carried out the kidnappings - including pirate gangs.

Al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaeda, is locked in a battle with the weak UN-backed interim government for control of the parts of the country which are currently outside its power, particularly the capital, Mogadishu.

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Dog walker's shock as he finds 5ft blue shark on south coast beach

A dog walker was shocked to discover a five-foot killer shark washed up on a Sussex beach.

The rare Blue Shark had a giant bite mark in its side, meaning it could have been killed by an even bigger predator in the English Channel.

Walker Nikki Lambert showed her find on Camber Sands, East Sussex, to marine biologists who said it could have been attacked by a Great White.

Dead: The rare Blue Shark had a giant bite mark in its side, meaning it could have been killed by an even bigger predator in the English Channel

She said: 'I could not quite believe it at first until I got a little closer.

'I have encountered driftwood washed up but not a shark.

'I was told that the only animals who would attack a Blue Shark like this would be a Great White Shark or a Killer Whale.'

Blue Sharks, which can grow up to 12ft long, are not considered to be aggressive but they have attacked and killed humans in other parts of the world.

This shark was discovered on double yellow lines in Aberystwyth in Wales last week after bring washed up following stormy weather

An estimated 20 million Blue Sharks are killed by fishermen every year.

Doug Herdson, of the Marine Fish Information Services, said: 'A blue shark of this size is a juvenile which should be on its way to south-west Spain or north-west Africa at this time of year.'

In Aberystwyth, Wales, last week bank worker Tom Huxley came out of a friend's house and was hit by they smell of rotting fish, but when he went to investigate he found the body of a 4ft blue shark lying inches from the road markings.

Mr Huxley, a former Aberystwyth University student, took a photo the fish outside the Gwesty Cymru hotel on 24 October.

It is not known how the shark came to end up on the road, but experts at Swansea University's Department of Bioscience believe it was washed up in recent stormy weather.

A six-foot specimen was washed up in Lewis, in the Hebrides, in September.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2057683/Dogwalkers-shock-finds-5ft-blue-shark-south-coast-beach.html#ixzz1cxEH0QSg

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More dolphins found: 3 washed up Friday; 14 total dead in October, which is ‘not normal’

By KAREN NELSON - klnelson@sunherald.com

GULFPORT -- So far in October, 14 dead dolphins have washed ashore in Mississippi and Alabama.
Three were found Friday in Mississippi -- one on Deer Island, one floating 200 yards off the beach at Cowan Road and one on the beach in Long Beach.
“Generally, you don’t see this in October,” said Moby Solangi, director of the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies. “This is not normal.”

COURTESY INSTITUTE FOR MARINE MAMMAL STUDIES This young male Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, found on the beach in Long Beach, was one of three dead dolphins found along the Mississippi Coast on Friday.

There was a time when one dolphin death was an unusual event.
But dolphins dying consistently, month after month, is something that has continued in the northern Gulf since the BP oil spill.
NOAA, the federal National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, is investigating the deaths.
The agency said in a statement Thursday five of 21 dolphins that died in Louisiana in 2010 were killed by the bacterium brucella. That’s 21 of the 580 that have been discovered dead in the northern Gulf since February 2010, three months before the spill.
NOAA has said something was killing dolphins before the spill, but added exposure to the oil could have worn down the animals and made them more susceptible to disease.
NOAA hasn’t drawn any conclusion about the deaths, but the investigation is continuing.
Doug Inkley, senior scientist with the National Wildlife Federation, said Friday the fact that an unusual number of dolphins began dying before the spill “in no way means the oil spill did not contribute to dolphin deaths.
“What we do know is that every single month since the oil spill began through present, dolphin deaths have been far above normal and this is a real cause for concern.”
Solangi said only one of the dead dolphins found Friday was in good enough shape for a necropsy, an animal autopsy. Samples from the other two were taken in the field and sent to NOAA.
Solangi said NOAA has admitted there is still a lot more to do in investigating the deaths.
The report this week of brucella in five of the dead mammals was an initial finding, he said. “And remember, 16 of the 21 did not have brucella.”

Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/2011/10/28/3539218/more-dolphins-found-3-washed-up.html#ixzz1cCuWsRkb

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US, California: Mystery Lights Interrupt News 8 Live Shot

US, California: Mystery Lights Interrupt News 8 Live Shot

Richard Allyn
KFMB-TV CBS 8 News

One of our news crews spotted some mysterious lights in the sky during Tuesday's 11 p.m. news, and now we're trying to figure out what it was.

A series of glowing reddish lights, almost like floating flames, dominated the sky Tuesday night in University Heights looking east. The unidentified objects soared into the darkness, eventually appearing to burn themselves out, adding to the intrigue. Police say they had no reports of any unusual sky activity, nor did renowned local astronomer Dennis Mammana.

"Something like this would have definitely crossed my radar screen," he said.

Tuesday night's sighting comes at a time of other popular sky shows, from the Northern Lights to last month's meteor show.

"A few weeks ago you had that great fireball crossing the sky. People saw it all the way from Las Vegas to San Diego," Mammana said.

So what were the mysterious balls of fire?

"The fact they were ascending sounds like they were being fired from some place on the ground," Mammana said.

One theory is floating Chinese sky lanterns -- essentially mini-hot air balloons -- that are carried into the air by rising heat from candles, or flares burning inside them. Mammana says in the past he has witnessed similar fireworks in the sky.

"Sparklers, flares... I don't know if it was these Chinese fireworks, but it can be quite befuddling if you walk away without watching them," he said.

Whether or not what we saw last night was actually Chinese sky lanterns is not clear. What is certain though is fire officials say launching these devices clearly presents a fire hazard, and whoever is responsible for setting them off could be held responsible for any damage they may cause.

A similar phenomenon of glowing red lights floating in the sky was reported in El Cajon back on New Year's Eve 2009. While never officially determined, fire officials at that time said they were most likely sky lanterns as well.

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5 to 6 Thousand Dead Birds wash ashore at Wasaga Beach, Canada

Thousands of dead birds have flooded the shores of Georgian Bay in a scene that locals compared to the devastation from an oil spill.

Dead birds line a portion of Allenwood Beach just outside of Wasaga Beach on Saturday. As many as 6,000 dead birds are washing up on the shores of Georgian Bay, say authorities, who believe botulism may be to blame.

Benjamin Ricetto/THE CANADIAN PRESS

Dead loons, ducks and seagulls covered "every foot" of Wasaga Beach Provincial Park’s shorelines on Saturday, said local Faye Ego, who walks her dog there daily.

"It’s like when you see the oil slicks," Ego said. "It turns your stomach. It’s awful."

Between 5,000 and 6,000 dead waterfowl are scattered along a 3-kilometre stretch near Wasaga Beach, said Ontario Provincial Police Const. Peter Leon.

Botulism appears to be the culprit behind the masses of dead birds based on information from the Ministry of Natural Resources, police said.

The deadly disease is caused by toxins that lake-bottom bacteria produce under certain conditions. Fish were likely infected, then died and floated to the surface.

A "free-for-all eating frenzy for the waterfowl" ensued, Leon said, which subsequently resulted in their deaths.

Stormy and windy weather over the past couple days pushed the dead birds to shore.

He is unsure who will be responsible for cleaning up the lifeless waterfowl, which included mallards and pintail ducks. Tourism to the area is unlikely to be affected because it is not high season, he said.

Dead birds have been appearing on the area’s beaches for the past few weeks, he added.

And dead sturgeons, known to be bottom feeders, started washing up in August, Ego said.

There was also an influx of dead birds at this time last year, she said, but she has never seen anything like this before.

"It would make you cry," she said.

She questioned why no one from the ministry had come to pick up the carcasses as of Saturday evening.

"I’m fighting to keep my dog off the beach," she said. "His nose is going up in the air a million miles an hour."

Officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources did not immediately return requests for comment on Saturday.

However, the ministry identified a "die-off" of birds and fish in Georgian Bay in a news release earlier this month.

Small scale "die-offs" occur annually around the Great Lakes, with the largest being in Lake Ontario in 2007, according to the ministry.

Botulism is rarely dangerous to humans so long as food is properly handled and cooked, but dead birds and fish should not be eaten.

Police said the provincial park remains open, but warned people to keep their children and dogs away from the dead birds.

thestar.com

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Pakistan on emergency alert after nuclear power plant leak; no damage or radiation

Pakistan on emergency alert after nuclear power plant leak; no damage or radiation

An official at a nuclear power plant in Pakistan says it declared a seven-hour emergency after heavy water leaked out of a reactor during maintenance work.

Tariq Rasheed says Tuesday night’s leak did not cause any damage or radiation. He said on Thursday that the plant located in the southern city of Karachi was safe and that the emergency was declared as standard procedure.

He says the plant is scheduled to restart operations in one month.

The Karachi Nuclear Power Plant went on line in 1971 and is currently capable of producing 100 megawatts of electricity. The plant is located on the outskirts of the city. READ MORE

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Fire shuts down Swedish nuclear reactor - 22nd Oct 2011

Fire shuts down Swedish nuclear reactor - 22nd Oct 2011

The nuclear reactor at Oskarshamn was closed down late on Saturday night after a fire broke out at the plant.

Although the fire, which broke out in the turbine hall of Unit 2, was quickly put out by the plant’s own emergency services, the reactor and the turbine were closed down as a precautionary measure.

It is still unclear when the reactor 2 can be restarted again, with investigations ongoing.

“Fires are always serious in this type of facility, but this happened in the conventional turbine hall, which is the same type as all other kinds of power plants, and not in the reactor itself. We need to analyse what caused the fire before we make any commitment to start the installation, but I assume that it should not be too long, because this was a relatively minor incident,” Anders Österberg, Director of Communications at OKG (Oskarshamnsverkets Kraftgrupp, which runs the facility), told TT.

Unit 2 was restarted this week following its annual maintenance check, though the company said it is too early to speculate over whether the two incidents are connected in any way. SOURCE

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Radioactive cesium found in plankton off Fukushima nuclear plant

Radioactive cesium found in plankton off Fukushima nuclear plant

High concentrations of radioactive cesium have been found in plankton from the sea near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

Researchers from Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology collected plankton in waters up to 60 kilometers from the coast of Iwaki City in July. They found 669 becquerels per kilogram of radioactive cesium in animal plankton from waters 3 kilometers offshore.

They say a wide range of fish feed on animal plankton and that the contamination could accumulate in the food chain and have a more serious impact when it gets into relatively large fish.

The research group's leader, Professor Takashi Ishimaru, says the plankton were so heavily contaminated because sea currents continuously carried contaminated water southward from the nuclear plant. He says detailed studies are needed to determine how long the effect on fish will continue. source

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Salmon virus could spread to Washington from British Columbia - 21st Oct 2011

It is shocking to read that a deadly exotic disease from Europe has now been reported in wild Pacific salmon in British Columbia and could spread to Washington and Alaska.

Infectious salmon anemia (ISA) is a fish-farm flu, which is a listed disease requiring notification to the World Organisation for Animal Health — like bird flu, swine flu, rabies and mad-cow disease.

How this lethal disease was allowed into North Pacific waters is a lesson in madness and greed.

Norwegian companies now control 92 percent of salmon farms in British Columbia and recently spread ISA to the South Pacific in Chile — resulting in $2 billion in losses.

In the North Pacific, there is even more at stake, with wild salmon feeding bears, orcas, fishermen, eagles and wolves. Wild salmon are absolutely priceless, yet the Canadian government is putting this all at risk for short-term corporate profits. Read More

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