Once again, industries are demanding a change in fish quotas with increasing fish stocks. Well let's think about this proposal, shall we?

For years and years we've driven fish populations down into the ditch, then with much reluctance some countries decide to impose quotas. And guess what? They WORK. Why else would they have been suggested?!?!? Guess what industries want to do now? Increase fishing quotas. Do you understand what that will do to fish populations? Plummet them right back down to the dark ages. Why? Because more fish are being fished! Again!

I am astounded.

Save the fish y'all- yup still, no.

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Finally, drug rules are starting to be adapted. I would say that I'm happy, but it's marred by the fact that it should've been done earlier! These sorts of activities, that require an animal to participate (without choice might I add), need to put the animal's safety first. It's different for people. They consent with participating, you can have them be put in as much danger as you want, as long as they consent to it. If it's their choice I don't care. The issue with horse racing, is the horses never gave consent. They never said they wanted to endanger their life, with little in terms of gratitude. And for this reason, the least, the BARE minimum, that we must do, is provide adequate protocols to ensure their safety. For goodness, sake, if they aren't going to be allowed to make their own decisions, at least make sure they don't needlessly risk their life, every time they go out onto a track.

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Top Venezuelan racing horse Rio Negro, has been poisoned: with a dose of cortisol that could've killed him. This industry has been allowed to run rampant, to the point of threatening everyone involved in it. And the horses are suffering the blunt of it. Not only are they forced to race, to the point of death, pumped full of drugs, and generally mistreated, they are now embroiled in racing politics. This industry can no longer be considered a sport. In order to get an upper edge someone has poisoned the forerunner of upcoming Derby. Rio Negro, is now battling for his life.

When will these animals be allowed to live? Since we discovered their use, they've been under their power. When, will people decide that they've done enough? Suffered enough?

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Go on keep on emitting carbon dioxide, and eating fish.

Because who needs this?

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Or this?

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Or this (I'm aware some of you probably still don't care- it's coming, don't worry.)

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What about this?

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I'm sure you won't mind living without this.

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Finally, I'll just jump a couple of steps. What about this? You don't mind living like this- I'm sure.

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Please, think about you're giving up- and what you're forcing everyone else to give up too.
Researchers aren't telling tall tales, to get you to stop- they're telling you what will happen. This is our future. I hope you can live like this.

Well, this article appeared in my inbox today. So let me get this straight: millions of sharks are killed every year for a soup, and now they are being used as a supplement, by this joyous company. Seriously? So this species is threatening collapse, so that people can show off to their friends and now digest food quicker. Really? Are you joking me? If you want to lose weight, for goodness sake exercise! It saddens me that humanity is so chronically lazy, that instead of laying off the fast food, and actually moving around a little, they now grind up the cartilage of sharks and shove it into a pill. Are you serious?!?!

This should be their slogan: Killing sharks since 1945, to battle human laziness.

Wikipeda (labeled for reuse)

Wikipedia (labeled for reuse)

Alright, I'm being a little unfair when I call it "hysterical", but you've got to admit that much of popular media isn't relying on scientific fact. In a previous post I talked about why I believe, in current conditions, orcas shouldn't be held in captivity, drawing upon actual scientific research (brain size etc). Now, it's time to make the less factual argument.

Since the release of Blackfish the public have been demanding change. Even, Blackfish, itself doesn't use a lot of scientific research, it tells a story. The story of Tilikum. An orca forced to live out his life in misery: alone, afraid, captive. It's hard to see an animal in such evident distress.

Did you know that there is no recorded incident of an orca attack in the wild? There are dozens, if not hundreds of (reported) incidents in captive orcas. This should tell you something about their psychological state.

The way that you get the public to support something, isn't through in-depth studies and research papers (honestly, it's quite a challenge to read some of them). To get the public to support you, you need emotion. You need them to feel anger, or sadness over a topic. Show them as a young orca is ripped away from his mother, Tilikum's ragged skin from attacks, and his dormant form in a pool. This is how the media garners support. You've got to show them something they'll understand, something they'll relate to.

This is their secret. Your welcome.

Wikipedia (labeled for reuse)

I've been largely focusing on the overfishing of Tuna, but keep in mind there are more. Here's one. Swordfish. Experts estimate that their population is 70% below, what is should be. That my friends, is not good news. Another apex predator being driven towards extinction. Not shall we say, ideal... Remember my posts about how the disappearance of tuna might effect the oceans, add the swordfish to the picture.

Global fish stocks, are declining astronomically. The big issue with these large predatory fish, such as sharks and swordfish, is their slow maturation. Many sharks and swordfish that are caught, haven't yet reproduced, this only helps accelerate their, currently, inevitable extinction.

Pixabay (labeled for reuse)

Wikimedia commons (labeled for reuse)

Yesterday, I wrote about sustainable fish, and briefly alluded to this post. This is going to be about mercury. You all know about mercury? I hope. If you don't, here's all that you should know: it ISN'T good for you. That would be an ISN'T. I'm excited, because now I have a reason for people that don't care about fish to stop eating them.

Did you know that fish contain mercury? Do you know how mercury is carried along through the food chain? Mercury levels start off innocuously, then it travels up the food chain. To the bigger animals (in this case fish). What are some of the most threatened fish species? Bluefin tuna, swordfish, and sharks. Guess what? They all have the highest levels of mercury! So, STOP eating them! Is that sushi really worth getting mercury poisoning? And don't think that canned tuna is safe, just because it's skipjack tuna, according to this article (hyperlinked above), "Tuna accounts for 40% of our mercury exposure. Most of that is from canned tuna." So yeah.

I'm hoping if you don't care about fish, at least you care about yourself. So I'd advise, avoiding mercury poisoning. Not really a pleasant thing. Not really advised for your health.

I couldn't see any sharks, other than the Black Tips, when I went to check up on them. They all seemed to congregating at the far end of the pool. Not sure what they were doing, but kind of interesting, so here's the screenshots.

And the tank is still demurkified, so that's good.

Shark Webcam, courtesy of Shark Lagoon
 All the greyish blimps towards the far end are blacktips.


Where did Solomon go?

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SeaWorld has now returned a manatee back to the wild, after they rehabilitated it. This is similar to the last post, I just want to make sure that people know that orcas is not all the SeaWorld is about. For years, they've been at the forefront of marine animal rescue, saving thousands if not millions of animals. And this is not something that should be forgotten on the nigh.

Keep in mind, I'm not saying that because of these efforts this excuses the ill-treatment of the orcas- not even slightly. All I want you to know, is that we shouldn't be lumping the entire company into one big lump of, "You suck."

Another thing to realize, is that not all branches of SeaWorld keep orcas, and many of them are not affiliated with the ones that do: such as SeaWorld Gold Coast, who I also emailed.

Alrighty. I've covered the topic of shark attacks a number of times on this blog- perhaps, you're tired about hearing it, but I'm angry, so you'll have to deal with it.

It seems everyday (I actually check the news on this topic every day) a new article about a shark attack, or a beach evacuated because of sharks, hits the news. Most of the time the shark bit a surf board and swam off, increasingly it's that someone saw a shark. SAW a shark. Apparently, SEEING a shark now warrants a featured article. You'd think nothing was going on in the world *cough* Ebola *cough*. Okay, so we report every minor incident that involves a shark.

Do you know what happens to millions of sharks every year? They are slaughtered. Actually, that's a bad word to use- it's misleading. They are not slaughtered. They are hacked up- alive. And subsequently thrown into the ocean to drown to death, or get scavenged by other fish. WHY doesn't this make the news? Imagine if a shark bit off all four limbs of a person and then swam off. This would without a doubt make headline news all around the world. And what will people think? "They're man eating machines! Stay away from the ocean! Kill them all." Yeah. That's great. This is what happens to sharks every minute of every day. Do they get headline news? No. Of course not. It's deemed somewhat acceptable. I ask you, how is this just? How can we call ourselves civilized, whilst turning a blind eye to this unequivocal barbarity? If another person did this to a human being, they'd be sentenced for life. As a matter of fact, they'd probably be locked up if they did this to a panda, or a dog, or a horse. But a shark? Well that's fine. WHY??!?!?! Why do people hold sharks on a different level? I've already mentioned (in a previous post) that dogs kill more people than sharks every year, why do we treat them better than sharks? What have they done to deserve this discrimination? If anything we're the ones that are at fault. We saw the oceans we conquered, we depleted their food supply, when they make a mistake they are segregated, called a monster, beast, and driven towards extinction.

Efforts are being made to reverse this trend. Now. It should've been done YEARS AGO! This industry is barbaric.

Sharks deserve our respect. They deserve our compassion. They don't owe us anything.

Beluga Webcam, courtesy of Vancouver Aquarium

No circuiting to be seen. I'm afraid posts in this segment are getting increasing shorter. If you'd like to read more of my rambling about this series, I'd advise you to reread my earlier ones. Because, I'm quite literally just trying to record whether or not Nemo is circuiting. So to disappoint- if I have.

SeaWorld has finally responded to PETA's multiple allegations. Although, I'm not sure how thoroughly they've tackled the complaints. PETA filed multiple complaints concerning their keeping of killer whales, after the release of Blackfish. Thus far SeaWorld has declined to answer- I wonder why... If they are truly innocent why haven't they rebutted sooner? Isn't that just COMMON SENSE????

If you've been falsely accused of something, what would you do? Sit back and watch as the situation tumbles out of control? Would you sit idle as more and more people are drawn against you? Well unless you are insane or ARE ACTUALLY GUILTY of the charges pressed, you'd speak up. Would you not?

So why is it that SeaWorld is only now responding? In the past few days (there is a post up already), PETA filed another complaint. Eager bunch. This time their allegations spanned across the board, they claimed that multiple cetaceans, and a walrus were exhibiting both physical and mental trauma. Now SeaWorld, has finally decided that's enough. They say, that they tried to keep quiet and wait till it blew over, tried to wait until the masses saw the truth. Really? Is that really the reason? Or is this just a convenient way to rebut? If this particular allegation is in fact incorrect, SeaWorld can now claim that, whilst indirectly trying to dispute PETA's other complaints without directly addressing them. Just an idea. It may or not be true.

Why has SeaWorld been silent for so long?

Personally, I believe both parties need to sit down and have a long, heartfelt conversation. One on one. With some individually wrapped chocolates to break the ice.

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"Nobody cares about fish," it certainly seems that way. I read this article a couple minutes ago: Trout of order! Fish brutally stabbed with Swiss Army Knife sparks outrage. Yes it should spark outrage. My goodness. What goes through people's minds? Someone decided that the thing to do was stab a knife into the back of a trout, this trout was still alive mind you, swimming along in the river. WHY. That is the question I must ask. WHY? What could this action possibly achieve? Why do people take such an issue with fish? First the majority of the population couldn't care less about their fate in terms of overfishing, and now apparently some people believe it acceptable to stab them in the back.

This is an act of animal cruelty. Yes it's a fish! I don't care if you don't like fish. Are fish my favorite animal? No. Do I care about them? With a burning passion. Just because it doesn't look like you or me doesn't mean it doesn't deserve respect. When in our history did we reach the conclusion that animals are below us? Something to be used, extorted, tortured, and abused? Although, this article angers me, it gives me immense hope. According to it, people were enraged with this act of cruelty, so I guess the number of people who actually care about fish is rising.

Fish deserve the same respect and consideration as shark, dolphin, horse, or panda. If I have to plaster a picture of a panda on a blue-fin tuna, I will (as long as it doesn't harm their way of living).

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Wikipedia (labeled for reuse)

Orcas have been dominating SeaWorld News- well I guess it has on my blog too... But that's about to change! At least for this post.

When we are bashing SeaWorld for its stance on keeping captive Orcas, we need to keep in mind that this isn't all the company is about. Although, this one aspect, may be undesirable for many of us. SeaWorld does have some very important, and amazing missions. They rescue thousands, if not millions of animals a year. Just recently releasing a pregnant shark, they rescued, back to the ocean. Although, this shouldn't be used as an excuse for the controversy concerning the orcas, I think we need to keep in mind that this company is not all bad: nothing ever is.

I strongly support many of SeaWorld's missions, and just because their keeping of the orcas is something I disagree with, doesn't nullify all of their other accomplishments.

Just something to keep in mind. Sometimes, I think we get carried away with the often one-sided reporting of the media.

Shark Webcam, courtesy of Shark Lagoon
The tank is demurkified! Not a word... really not a word...
Anyway, just to clarify, the tank was actually 'demurkified' within 24 hours, I just spread my posts out. So don't worry, the aquarium solved the issue in much less than 3-4 days. It was probably less than 24 hours... Also the sharks didn't seem disturbed by the murk. Maybe, the murk was an intentional murk. To be honest, I have no idea what it was or why it happened. I just wanted to report that I can now see the screen again! Which is good news.
Vision has returned!

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WWF Sustainable fish guides USE THEM!!!
http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/how_we_work/conservation/marine/sustainable_fishing/sustainable_seafood/seafood_guides/

I've hyperlinked it, I've pasted it into this blog posts, which makes it look really messy, so USE IT. Stick it in your wallet, car, write it on your hand, shopping list, glue it to your face, I don't care, just use it! Or memorize it, write a song about it, make flash cards, make a t-shirt out of it, honestly, do whatever will make you remember which fish you should avoid.

If you won't not (yes double negatives, think fast), eat tuna and swordfish for moral reasons, do it for your health. I'll do a more in depth post soon, but know that the larger the fish, the higher the mercury levels. And in case you don't know, MERCURY is NOT good for your health. Boy, I hope you know that: and if you didn't know, you do now. Unless you're one of those passive readers, in which case, STOP IT. I hope the use of CAPS LOCK, makes you an active reader.

Anyway, save the fish! - really, someone needs to help me come up with a better slogan.

Shark Webcam, courtesy of Shark Lagoon

The divers have returned. Yielding this weird tool (see screen shots below). I can only assume that this is some sort of training exercise, that may train sharks not to harm the divers: although, I can't be certain.
I think there's a white tip near the bottom of the tank, next to the diver.
See the end of the stick like object, its shape leads me to believe that this is a training tool.

Beluga Webcam, courtesy of Vancouver Aquarium

Still circuiting.

Still can't see Wake, granted, I only watched for a minute or two.

Beluga Webcam, courtesy of Vancouver Aquarium

Not circuiting. Nemo's swimming around the boulders, entering the area from a path not part of his circuit.

Well, the mysterious vacuum staff from a few days ago, may not be so mysterious after all... And I think they need to come back... Actually they may be back. I'm probably not making much sense. Bring on the screenshots!

This is what greeted me today....
Not sure what happened.
The water has gotten a little murky to put it lightly...
The sharks don't seem to mind it though. I guess the ocean isn't always clear either.

 If you look out into the murk, I think I see the blue tube again. So I'm assuming the aquarium is trying to do something about this murk.


 I don't believe I've seen this shark before. I'm not even sure if it's a shark...


The black tips come speeding around the corner. I've got to say, these are most certainly my favorite shark.

Black tip shark congregation! The best kind of congregation.

 Is it actually getting murkier?
 Yup, most certainly murkier.


 Why is the water so murky?!?!?

 Solomon is creeping up.

 Hello Solomon. How's life?


 I'll try to check up later, to see if this murky water has cleared up. Solomon is slightly in the back, if you're interested.