Posts by Regina Asmutis-silvia
Tag, you’re (a nitw)it!
On May 1st, a stranded minke whale found on a New Jersey beach was “tagged” with what appear to be Greek Letters-a frat prank perhaps? While “tagging” a whale may seem like a harmless prank, it’s harmful to conservation and dangerous to the “tagger.” I have personally written on many dead marine mammals but only…
Read MoreSee you in court. WDC takes legal action against US government
WDC and its conservation partners filed a suit in US federal court today challenging the US government’s five year delay in designating additional Critical Habitat for critically endangered North Atlantic right whales. Fewer than 500 North Atlantic right whales remain and their survival is threatened by vessel strikes, entanglements in fishing gear, and habitat degradation. …
Read MoreObama Administration acknowledges that Iceland’s whaling is not acceptable or sustainable
Yesterday, the Obama Administration acknowledged that Iceland’s whaling is not acceptable or sustainable. While falling short of issuing economic sanctions from the US government, Iceland’s whaling company is already feeling economic pressure from consumers. Highliner Seafoods, one of North America’s largest seafood distributors, recently pledged that it will not purchase seafood products from any company…
Read MoreWhales are not Seafood
This past week, WDC joined forces with the Animal Welfare Institute and attended the Seafood Expo North America in Boston, MA. While some attendees were there to sample the rich diversity of foods, others were there to broker $120million (USD) deals with seafood distributors to supply restaurants and food stores across the country. And still…
Read MoreWDC helps secure another victory for critically endangered North Atlantic right whales!
Today, the U.S. District Court D.C issued a finding in favor of right whales! Based on their decision, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the US agency charged with protecting right whales, must acknowledge and thoroughly evaluate the impacts to right whales from the proposed development of an offshore wind farm in right whale habitat. Last June,…
Read More1, 2, …..7,570 ways to save whales!
Thank you, yes you, all 7,570 of you who took time out of your day to sign a petition to protect North Atlantic right whales. I don’t always sign petitions– there are so many out there on so many topics and websites. I don’t always know if they get to the person/place/agency intended, or if…
Read MoreBeauty is in the eyes of the beholder… and the stomachs of unsuspecting wildlife
As Valentine’s Day is approaching and couples primp for their special date night, are they doing so at the expense of our environment? From facial cleansers to toothpaste, abrasives are prevalent in “beauty” items to exfoliate and ensure that we are putting our best face forward. But what makes these products feel coarse to the…
Read MoreMisa-line-ing whale protection
As a federally appointed member of the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team, WDC has worked for the past several years to help develop a plan that would reduce the amount of vertical line in the water column, thereby reducing the risk of entanglement to North Atlantic right whales by commercial fisheries. We were pleased…
Read MoreEndangered humpback whale dies off Long Island, NY from fishing gear entanglement
Only four days ago, the Atlantic Large Whale Disentanglement Team received a report of an entangled humpback whale off Long Island. Yesterday, that same whale was found dead. The young female appears to have died as a result of becoming entangled in gillnetting, a gear type that NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) exempted from…
Read MoreUS Government Shut Down also Puts Endangered Whales at Risk
The U.S. woke up this morning to news that the government was shutting down, furloughing all “non-essential” federal employees including those at NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the agency which is charged protecting whales and dolphins. The NMFS is responsible for implementing both the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act with…
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