In a final call for the ban against Japanese scientific whaling in the Antarctic, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has made a final and binding decision declaring Australia’s application successful.
In a final call for the ban against Japanese scientific whaling in the Antarctic, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has made a final and binding decision declaring Australia’s application successful.
In a country where consumption of whale meat is consistently dwindling, the ICJ found that the number of minke whales (and others) killed for research purposes was unjustifiable. It is ironic that the killing of these mammals has been allowed at all in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary that was established in 1994.
Japan has a few weeks in which to submit a new programme to the International Whaling Committee where the quota of scientific whaling is readjusted. While this does not negate Japan’s activities in the Pacific, Japan has finally accepted this decision by the Hague Court
More info www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/2014/03/31/the-whales-have-won-icj-ru…
japans-southern-ocean-whaling-not-for-scientific-research-1569
Fracked about Fracking?
With the increased awareness about fracking in the Karoo, and Shell’s first option if, and when, preliminary exploration commences, some questions arise: What is the practical value of this information we are hoping to seek in these exploratory excavations? And is the price of this ignorance worth it?
RU Green, a local environmental society at Rhodes University advocates a more cautious stance of ‘Research before Wreckage’.
However, the concern that arises with this is whether we will know when to stop. The price to be paid for ignorance will only be realised when the already dehydrated Karoo’s water table is infested with chemicals, or when the waste will need to be transported to another area to be disposed of. Where will this waste go? Who will pay for the costs? Will it be Shell, us, or future generations – those for whom we were supposed to have kept our Earth in care?
An interesting point to note about Shell’s persistence in fracking rights is that it has been denied access to fracking in its own country, the Netherlands where its headquarters are situated.
The Pebble Penguins
A spark ignited during SciFest at Waterworld has led to a renewed local interest in volunteering time and effort to the research, rehabilitation and rescues of penguins and other marine life.
SAMREC, the South African Marine Research and Education Centre based in Cape Recife, Port Elizabeth, is an amazing centre of learning for all.
Living in an area where conservation of our penguins is possible means that we have the ability to do something about their drastic fall in numbers, exacerbated by climate change and overfishing.
One can help by making donations, volunteering time and effort, and even adopting a penguin, an initiative taken up by many communities and schools.
To help, please contact SAMREC in the Cape Recife Nature Reserve, Marine Drive, Port Elizabeth. On 041 583 1830 or info@samrec.org.za or visit www.samrec.org.za
Contacts for Makana Enviro-News:
Nikki Köhly: n.kohly@ru.ac.za, 046 603 7205 / Jenny Gon: j-gon@intekom.co.za, 046 622 5822/ Nick Hamer: n.hamer@ru.ac.za, 084 722 3458 / Nick James: nickjames@intekom.co.za, 082 575 9781 / Philip Machanick: p.machanick@ru.ac.za, 046 603 8635 / Strato Copteros:strato@iafrica.com, 082 785 6403
