The Deep Blue Disaster

Shark Trust, 2015

No Limits? No Future!

The other day, I posted about the ICAAT (International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas) meeting in Malta. As the conference drew to a close, the Shark Trust press release was published. It could not have left a more bitter taste in the mouth if possible, and reading through, it is difficult to not get frustrated: it is a complete disaster. 

The Shark Trust's No Limits? No Future! campaign had a number of very vulnerable sharks, most of which can be found in British waters, at its heart. Particularly featured were:

- The blue shark, for which there are no limits to the number that can be taken in Atlantic waters. Annually, in excess of 10 million are taken for their fins alone (Shark Trust, 2015) 

- The shortfin mako shark. Again, there are no limits to the quantity that can be taken in Atlantic waters. 

- The porbeagle. There was a campaign to ban the retention of the species. 

- The common thresher shark. Proposals to ban capture were made. 

The common thresher and shortfin mako are Vulnerable and the blue shark Near Threatened with extinction. The porbeagle is globally Vulnerable, and Critically Endangered in the Northeast Atlantic (IUCN, 2015). 

What Happened? 

A fifth proposal to clamp down on the finning of sharks at sea- a highly destructive, wasteful method of shark fishing- was also made. Despite the increase in the number of countries (now containing 30 of the 50 countries involved in the ICAAT) showing support for a stronger "fins-free", the move was blocked by Japan, South Korea and China.

Shark Trust, 2015

The article also points out that Japan tried to propose a 32% increase in blue shark takings in the South Atlantic; despite a back-up by the European Union, the call was rejected by the USA and Norway, and so there was no action taken on the species. The EU proposals to clamp down on shortfin mako and common thresher catches were also fought (led by Japan). The only objective where small progress was made was with a small compromise between the EU and Canada (which previously blocked the proposal for the taking of the species) for the porbeagle shark. The compromise was to encourage live release.

If we fail to protect the sharks, and we fail to protect our oceans, then how are we to protect anything? Has anything at all been learned from other man-made extinctions? 

And how would we be able to explain to future generations that we failed to get a grip on the steadily dwindling numbers of top predators?

References

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (2015) Prionace Glauca Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/39381/0 Date accessed: 18th November 2015; Isurus oxyrinchus Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/39341/0 Date accessed: 18th November 2015; Lamna Nasus Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/11200/0 Date accessed: 18th November 2015;  Lamna Nasus (Northeast Atlantic Population)  Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/39343/0 Date accessed: 18th November 2015; Alopias vulpinus Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/39339/0 Date accessed: 18th November 2015

Shark Trust (2015) Blue Shark Available at: http://www.sharktrust.org/en/blue_shark Date accessed: 18th November 2015

Shark Trust: No Limits? No Future! (2015) PRESS RELEASE: Japan Blocks 4 out of 5 Shark Conservation Proposals at Atlantic Tuna Meeting Available at: http://www.nolimitsnofuture.org/press-release-iccat2015/ Date accessed: 18th November 2015

Justice For Jaws

A shortfin mako (back) and blue shark (front), two species at the centre
of the ICCAT conference (Andy Murch)

No Limits? No Future!

Tope. Blue shark. Porbeagles. Shortfin mako. Smoothhounds. Catsharks. These beautiful species of shark can all be found in British waters.  Yet, as is a sadly common story in this day and age, they're all in pretty sharp decline. These sharks are commonly landed in Atlantic waters, accounting for around 97% of sharks landed by fisheries in the region. Statistics collected in 2012 show that 280,000 tons of these sharks were landed in Atlantic waters, although the true statistic is likely to be as much as quardruple this. (SharkTrust, n.d.).  It's about high time that something was done to help sharks before it is too late!

The Shark Trust is currently heading a campaign called No Limits? No Future!, and is also currently attending the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) meeting in Malta. 

The IUCN lists the shortfin mako as being Vulnerable to extinction and decreasing in numbers and the blue shark to be Near Threatened (2015). The campaign seeks to finally place limits on the numbers of these sharks landed in Atlantic waters annually, as well as prohibiting the retention of the Porbeagle Shark (Shark Trust, 2015), which the IUCN lists as Vulnerable and decreasing in numbers. 

Porbeagle shark (Canadian Shark Research Lab) 

The Marine Conservation Society says that Porbeagle meat is among the most valued of all shark meat (2015). It is also used in vitamin supplements! Though it is protected by the EU and in Uruguay (Shark Trust, 2015), it is not protected anywhere else in the Atlantic.

Nursehound (or bull huss) in the National Marine Aquarium (February 2015)-
an often overlooked, yet commonly consumed, species
of shark

In a world where half of the world's marine life has perished in the last 40 years we absolutely must start taking care of our oceans. It is not just about protecting the species we love most. It is about caring about the entire ecosystem for the planet's sake, and for own!

References

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (2015) Isurus oxyrinchus Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/39341/0 Date accessed: 15th November 2015; Prionace gluaca Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/39381/0 Date accessed: 15th November 2015; Lamna Nasus Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/11200/0 Date accessed: 15th November 2015

Marine Conservation Society (2015) Porbeagle Shark Available at: http://www.mcsuk.org/support_mcs/Get+involved/30+species/30+Species+-+Porbeagle+shark Date accessed: 15th November 2015

Shark Trust (2015) ICCAT Available at: http://www.sharktrust.org/en/iccat Date accessed: 15th November 2015

Shark Trust- No Limits? No Future! (no date supplied) The Campaign Available at: http://www.nolimitsnofuture.org/campaign/ Date accessed: 15th November 2015

Killer Seagulls?

A juvenile gull in Looe, Cornwall (October 2015)

Seagull Mania

I am used to "seagulls". I grew up in Dover, and now study and live in Plymouth. Neither towns exactly have a shortage of gulls, so I am more than accustomed to their noises and their seemingly predatory habits of snatching chips and pasties from your hands. 

But, whereas I don't really mind "seagulls", there are plenty of people who despise them. The media is part of the anti-seagull brigade, too, and this year (2015), seagulls seemed to be public enemy number one. Even David Cameron became involved; as this news article from the Guardian shows, he called for a "big conversation" as there were talks of a gull cull.

The Human Impact

Juvenile herring gull outside the National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth,
November 2014

What we as a society don't want to acknowledge (or admit?) is that the "thug" behaviour of gulls is a reflection of our own activity. The deaths of the dogs and tortoise as mentioned in the article are, of course, tragic, and the behaviour of the gulls cannot be ignored. However, it is of vital importance to discuss why "seagulls" are behaving the way they are, and how the media has an agenda against them. While the article does talk about the conservation status of herring gulls, there is little attempt to discuss the reasons behind the "aggressive" and "problematic" behaviour of seagulls. 

Black-headed gull (summer
plumage) Fountains Abbey, Ripon,
North Yorkshire, April 2015

Before I move on, "seagulls" don't really exist. The term generally applies to herring gulls and lesser black-backed gull, the two most familiar types of gull. Also, it is vital to address that their numbers are NOT booming, contrary to the hype and misinformation in the media. In fact, just like the majority of British wildlife, both types of gull are in real trouble. The conservation status of the herring and lesser black-backed gulls are Red and Amber respectively, meaning that they have both suffered a significant decline and range reduction (RSPB, n.d.). Of course, there are other species of gull, such as the black-headed and greater black-backed, but they don't receive nearly so much bad publicity. 

As you can see, I have posted a photo of a black-headed gull in Ripon, North Yorkshire, which is very far from the sea. This is a common trend, and is a symptom of what our activities have done to the sea (as little as we would like to admit it). If you've ever had a pasty stolen from your hands by a gull, or seen them hanging around near bins, you would know that they're opportunists, and that's where we as a society have created a problem.

- The WWF states that over 85% of the world's fish stocks are fished to or beyond capacity (2015). This means that the main natural food source of seagulls is removed and the ecosystem is profoundly affected. This means that the gulls are moving further inland to find their food sources (hence why they're in Ripon!).

Herring gulls surround a fishing boat in Looe, Cornwall
(March 2015)

- Poor fishing practices, such as gutting the fish onshore, attracts seagulls and encourages them to scavenge and use their opportunistic behaviors.

- Poor management of waste, particularly food waste attracts seagulls! So by dropping the odd chip on the ground here and there, seagulls are encouraged to scavenge where there are people. Similarly, actively feeding the gulls is not such a good idea as it provides further encouragement.

Gulls are not normally aggressive. Most of the attacks occur in the early summer, which is when their nesting and brooding season is!

No Gull Cull!

So, with regards to the talks of a gull cull, it is a silly idea and would solve very little. 

Before we point at seagulls, we must resolve our own bad behaviour to rectify the issue!

* We MUST discourage people from feeding the seagulls!
* Better management of waste, particularly of food waste
* Tighter regulations on the gutting of fish on the coast
* More sustainable fishing practices- not just to discourage seagulls, but for the entire ecosystem

Therefore, we need to admit that we have made this problem ourselves, and culling them is simply not the answer!

References

The Guardian (2015) Seagull attacks: David Cameron calls for "big conversation" about issue Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jul/18/seagull-attacks-david-cameron-big-conversation Date accessed: 19th October 2015

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (no date supplied) Herring Gull Available at: http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/name/h/herringgull/ Date accessed: 19th October 2015; Red, Amber and Green Explained Available at: http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/status_explained.aspx Date accessed: 19th October 2015

World Wildlife Fund (2015) Overfishing Available at: http://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/overfishing Date accessed: 19th  October 2015

A Croak About Amphibians and Reptiles

Let's Croak About Frogs

I say "croak". Firstly, obviously, frogs croak so in some ways this is one of those awful, childishly cheesy puns that you see on the front of The Sun or something. Secondly, I AM croaky. I've just finished a day of volunteering at Howletts and spoke to so many people (I'm in the education department) that I am now croaking nearly as much as the animals I'm about to talk about. It was great, though. Although there were certainly no frogs involved (Howletts doesn't look after frogs) and it's Javan primate week (there were a lot of masks of gibbons and lutungs/langurs/leaf monkeys/whatever-you-want-to call-them being made in a variety of awesome colours!), I wanted to make this post about them. 

The Golden Mantella of Madagascar, highly
endangered, taken at Paignton Zoo

Everyone knows that I absolutely adore them. They've been around longer than any mammal or bird. The vertebrate evolutionary tree goes in its most simple terms from fish to amphibians to reptiles, which then branch off into mammals and birds, so in some ways we should respect them because they're our grandparents many, many, many times removed! There's also the way that amphibians can breathe through their skin (come on, who else can do that?) and when you look at reptiles, it seems to transport you to the Cretaceous period, when dinosaurs ruled the roost. Other people seem to think the same, too- the popularity of frogs, snakes, lizards, etc, as pets shows affection for them (although I will talk about the pet trade in a bit- and for every good reason, too). 

SPECIES IN THE UK

Here in the UK, we don't have a rich varety of amphibians and reptiles. But what we do have is absolutely special. We have a lot of beautiful snakes, as well as some stranger creatures such as slow-worms and newts. I have taken many photos of these special animals in the wild, and like I did with the butterfly blog, will showcase some photos. 

ADDER AND COMMON WALL LIZARD

Ringmore, South Devon

Sorry to disturb you...

Ringmore is a beautiful, small, tranquil village on the South Devon coastline, and my family know it very well (and have got to know it even better since I've started studying in nearby Plymouth!). Nearby is a cute little cliff walk which takes you to Ayrmer Cove. If the weather's good and it's been warm, keep your eyes peeled. There are plenty of adders around the place, sunbathing on the rock piles at the side of the path. It doesn't matter how many times you see them. It never gets boring. I love the way that their blood red eyes stare at you (probably thinking "WTF!?") as you get as close to them as you dare with your camera and for a closer look (be very careful, though. Adders are our only venomous snake, so use your common sense!).

If adders aren't your thing, we've seen this adorable lizard just inches away from the snakes. The picture on the right is a common wall lizard, and like the adders, likes to take advantage of the sunshine and warmth. Quietly taking in his surroundings, he didn't seem to mind that people were crowding around the adder rather than him (and didn't even scuttle away when they turned to him, instead!). As a picture below shows, around about a half of the 20cm length of this cute lizard is taken up by tail. They're found all over Europe; thankfully (touch wood a thousand times) they appear to be doing quite well in terms of population.If you see one, again, use your common sense. They're not venomous, but don't disturb them. 

That tail <3

SLOW WORM

The White Cliffs of Dover

Not a snake, not a worm!

The slow worm is a fascinating type of reptile. It looks like a snake, but in fact it's a legless lizard! It's also much smaller than a snake, and interestingly enough also has eyelids and ear openings (which a snake does not have), which are both lizard-y features. They can live to be twenty years old, and are found in a variety of habitats, from your back garden to heath. This one was found completely by surprise. My dad and I were just walking through some woods on the cliffs, and found it on the path. It seemed totally unphased as it just slithered from one side to another, into the greenery out of sight. 

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT BRITISH REPTILES

All reptiles in the UK are legally protected. It is illegal to intentionally kill, injure, sell or to advertise to sell one. 

PALMATE NEWT AND COMMON TOAD

Mount Edgecumbe, Cornwall

Not a reptile, an amphibian

It was mid-March, and two of my university friends (Ebony and George) and I decided to go to Mount Edgecumbe for the day. It's a half an hour walk from the uni to the little ferry that takes you across the Tamar to this little treasure of a place, so in Plymouth we feel lucky to have this literally on our doorstep.
This is about the time you'll see amphibians everywhere if you know where to look, as it's mating/breeding season. In one of the gardens, there was a large pond alive with mating toads, a few newts (like the palmate one on the left- I did get a few photos of a baby, but the quality wasn't great so I won't post them) and a few dead toads. While George was busy trying to feed a robin Quavers, I was knelt at the side of the pond, snapping away at the toads and newts, grinning away to myself. I had never seen a newt that big before, or so many wild toads in one place. 

Toads will rarely be around water unless it's the mating season, during which the females lay hundreds of eggs on the weeds. After about ten days, these eggs hatch into tadpoles, which then take about two months to metamorphose onto little toadlets. The newts are commonly found in Devon and Cornwall, especially Dartmoor, due to the nutrient-poor, acidic habitat.

Cheer up, mate!

The World's Amphibians and Reptiles

A Cuban crocodile naps at Paignton Zoo.
This species is critically endangered, along
with a huge list of crocodiles,
alligators and gavials

1 IN 3 AMPHIBIANS IS CONSIDERED TO BE THREATENED WITH EXTINCTION, AS WELL AS A FIFTH OF REPTILES

When people talk about reptiles and amphibians, they may conjure up a mental image of a steamy, humid rainforest on the equator, lit up by the neon skin of the dart frogs. Why shouldn't they? That's where the majority of them live, as well as the highest diversity of such creatures. Sadly, this diversity is hugely threatened. These animals, especially amphibians, are incredibly vulnerable to climate change, pollution, habitat loss, disease and have also been the victim of the pet trade. So many have been taken for us to have as pets that it's actually harmed their populations and made them vulnerable to extinction! It's not just the pets that actually make it into the tanks that have been siezed from the wild, as the majority of the poor animals would die in transportation, whether from stress, hunger or dehydration. The pet trade has also seen the spread of the deadly Chytridiomycosis virus which has been unforgiving. Infected frogs would be released by well-meaning pet owners, who released them to the wild (obviously unknowing of the harm they were about to do), passing the disease on to the healthy population. This disease is devastating. Reptiles are also victim to the pet trade, getting caught in fishing gear (especially turtles), hunting for their skin and habitat loss. 

HOW CAN I HELP THEM?

There are several things you can do to help amphibians and reptiles around the world. 

- Never buy any genuine reptile skin products

- Unless you are 100% certain and completely and utterly of where it has come from, don't buy one as a pet (however, it should be noted that even if you buy a species from legal sources, it can still encourage illegal trade elsewhere due to demand)

- Make your garden habitable for these beauties. The RSPB has a great set of ideas here http://www.rspb.org.uk/makeahomeforwildlife/advice/gardening/reptiles_amphibians/

- Don't use pesticides and herbicides. Amphibians in particular are very sensitive to chemicals.

- If you have a pet frog, DON'T release it into the wild. You may think you're giving your croaky friend a favour, but you're not, and you're certainly not helping the wild ones. 

FURTHER READING

Cold Blood- Richard Kerridge 

http://www.savethefrogs.com/how-to-help/

http://www.amphibianark.org/the-crisis/what-can-i-do-to-help/

Butterflies, beauties of the insect world

I love a butterfly. 

There's just something about them. Perhaps it's the way that they appear to symbolise the spring and the summer? The way that they flutter around seemingly unaware of our presence? Their deadly important role in our ecosystem? The scarcity of some British species?

Whatever it is, I am absolutely fascinated by them, and can easily say that they're some of my favourite British wildlife.Yet, like a lot of things on these islands, they are in a lot of trouble, with several species in alarming decline and their ranges also declining. The reasons are varied. Loss of wildflower meadows, of which we've lost over 98% of such habitats. Pesticides and agriculture. Pollution. The usual story. But before I discuss that and what you can do to help butterflies where you live, I want to showcase some butterflies I have photographed in the UK.

Small Pearl-Bordered Fritillary

Coverack, Cornwall, June 2015

Coverack is a stunning seaside village on the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall. My family has been going there since before I was born, and it never really gets boring. It's beautifully quiet, and for such a small place, has a lot to offer. There's Roskilly's ice cream, the Paris Inn, the Old Lifeboat House restaurant and a variety of adorable little gift shops littered around the place. There's also plenty to offer for little adventures, too. There's Chynalls Point, for instance, which rewards you with beautiful views of the village and the sea (as well as ponies that have attempted to eat my camera straps a few times!). That's where I saw this beautiful, rare butterfly. 

The Small Pearl-Bordered Fritiallary is listed as a Priority Species by the Biodiversity Action Plan, and Butterfly Conservation (which obviously looks after British butterflies) lists it as a species with conservation priority. It's declined by over a third since the 1970s. I was pleasantly surprised to see this butterfly as we sat at Chynalls Point, taking in the magnificent view, and managed to get a fair few shots that I'm quite proud of. 

Hello, Handsome!

Those underwings <3

We also spotted a male common blue and a speckled wood. They're beautiful butterflies, but thankfully they are nearly in so much trouble as the poser above!

Male common blue

Speckled wood

Dover's Butterflies

The White Cliffs

If there's one thing that Dover does well, it's the nature reserves. There's Lydden Temple Ewell, which is home to hundreds of bee orchids. Old Park Hill, where I used to volunteer with the Kent Wildlife Trust and you can see reptiles and birds of prey (I have a fond memory of being sat around the fire in the dead of December, eating a pasta salad while talking to the other volunteers, and watching the buzzards in the distance). Samphire Hoe, created from the waste when they made the Channel Tunnel, home to skylarks, peregrines, lizards, amphibians, orchids and all sorts of other beauties. Then there's the famous White Cliffs. If it's butterflies you're after, it's butterflies you'll get. And plenty of them (just watch out for the ponies!). I may be biased, but these are truly beautiful cliffs. 

Top to bottom: Male common blue, large white, meadow brown (although a little bit is telling me it could be a gatekeeper!)

More Butterflies

Peacock butterfly, Sutton-on-the-Forest, York, April 2015

Wall brown, Jennycliff, Plymouth, May 2015

Little heath, Samphire Hoe, between Dover and Folkestone, June 2015

So...

What can I do to help, I hear you cry?

The answer: LOTS AND LOTS.

As I've already pointed out, the UK has lost over 98% of its wildflower meadows, which are vital habitats for these charming insects. There are a few plants that you could put in your garden to attract butterflies. 

- Buddleia. We have a huge buddleia plant in our back garden, and every summer it is absolutely covered in butterflies. We've seen blue, peacock, comma, tortoiseshell, red admirals and large white butterflies among others, so it is worth it. 

- Lavender

- Orregano  

To provide your newcomers with as many nectar-goodness opportunities as possible...

... don't use herbicides and pesticides. Butterflies (as well as spiders and ladybirds) are very sensitive to these harsh chemicals

... plant your flowers in a sunny yet sheltered area. Butterflies love the sun, obvs, but they need to be able to settle on the plants rather than being windswept

There is also lots of very good advice on the Butterfly Conservation website. Please check it out. 

http://butterfly-conservation.org/292/gardening.html 

Over and out! Keep them butterflies fluttering!