Lapang Islanders in Indonesia

"A Summary" – Apr 2, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Religion, Shift of Human Consciousness, 2012, Intelligent/Benevolent Design, EU, South America, 5 Currencies, Water Cycle (Heat up, Mini Ice Ace, Oceans, Fish, Earthquakes ..), Middle East, Internet, Israel, Dictators, Palestine, US, Japan (Quake/Tsunami Disasters , People, Society ...), Nuclear Power Revealed, Hydro Power, Geothermal Power, Moon, Financial Institutes (Recession, Realign integrity values ..) , China, North Korea, Global Unity,..... etc.) -

“ … Here is another one. A change in what Human nature will allow for government. "Careful, Kryon, don't talk about politics. You'll get in trouble." I won't get in trouble. I'm going to tell you to watch for leadership that cares about you. "You mean politics is going to change?" It already has. It's beginning. Watch for it. You're going to see a total phase-out of old energy dictatorships eventually. The potential is that you're going to see that before 2013.

They're going to fall over, you know, because the energy of the population will not sustain an old energy leader ..."

(Live Kryon Channelings was given 7 times within the United Nations building.)


Question: Dear Kryon: I live in Spain. I am sorry if I will ask you a question you might have already answered, but the translations of your books are very slow and I might not have gathered all information you have already given. I am quite concerned about abandoned animals. It seems that many people buy animals for their children and as soon as they grow, they set them out somewhere. Recently I had the occasion to see a small kitten in the middle of the street. I did not immediately react, since I could have stopped and taken it, without getting out of the car. So, I went on and at the first occasion I could turn, I went back to see if I could take the kitten, but it was to late, somebody had already killed it. This happened some month ago, but I still feel very sorry for that kitten. I just would like to know, what kind of entity are these animals and how does this fit in our world. Are these entities which choose this kind of life, like we do choose our kind of Human life? I see so many abandoned animals and every time I see one, my heart aches... I would like to know more about them.

Answer: Dear one, indeed the answer has been given, but let us give it again so you all understand. Animals are here on earth for three (3) reasons.

(1) The balance of biological life. . . the circle of energy that is needed for you to exist in what you call "nature."

(2) To be harvested. Yes, it's true. Many exist for your sustenance, and this is appropriate. It is a harmony between Human and animal, and always has. Remember the buffalo that willingly came into the indigenous tribes to be sacrificed when called? These are stories that you should examine again. The inappropriateness of today's culture is how these precious creatures are treated. Did you know that if there was an honoring ceremony at their death, they would nourish you better? Did you know that there is ceremony that could benefit all of humanity in this way. Perhaps it's time you saw it.

(3) To be loved and to love. For many cultures, animals serve as surrogate children, loved and taken care of. It gives Humans a chance to show compassion when they need it, and to have unconditional love when they need it. This is extremely important to many, and provides balance and centering for many.

Do animals know all this? At a basic level, they do. Not in the way you "know," but in a cellular awareness they understand that they are here in service to planet earth. If you honor them in all three instances, then balance will be the result. Your feelings about their treatment is important. Temper your reactions with the spiritual logic of their appropriateness and their service to humanity. Honor them in all three cases.

Japan's Antarctic whaling hunt ruled 'not scientific'

Japan's Antarctic whaling hunt ruled 'not scientific'
Representatives of Japan and Australia shake hands at the court in The Hague. (NOS/ANP) - 31 March 2014
"Fast-Tracking" - Feb 8, 2014 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - (Reference to Fukushima / H-bomb nuclear pollution and a warning about nuclear > 20 Min)

China calls for peaceful settlement of maritime disputes

China calls for peaceful settlement of maritime disputes
Wang Min, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, speaks during a meeting to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the enforcement of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, at the UN headquarters in New York, on June 9, 2014. The Chinese envoy on Monday called for a harmonious maritime order, saying that maritime disputes should be settled through negotiation between the parties directly involved. (Xinhua/Niu Xiaolei)

UNCLOS 200 nautical miles vs China claimed territorial waters

UNCLOS 200 nautical miles vs China claimed territorial waters

Friday, December 28, 2012

Massive beached whale dies in New York City

Google – AFP, 27 December 2012

A beached whale struggles on a shoreline in the Breezy Point neighborhood 
of Queens on December 26, 2012 (Getty Images/AFP/File, Mario Tama)

NEW YORK — An endangered whale that beached in New York City died on Thursday despite a day-long effort to keep the emaciated 18-meter (60-foot) finback alive by spraying it with water.

"We are on the scene and the whale has passed," Robert DiGiovanni, director of the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation, told AFP.

The finback whale, the second biggest animal species in the world after the blue whale, was found ashore early Wednesday in the Breezy Point neighborhood of Queens.

Police and firefighters began carefully spraying it with water to keep it alive until experts could take over.

Mendy Garron, a specialist from the National Marine Fisheries Service, told AFP on Wednesday that the outlook was not promising, describing the whale as "really emaciated."

After a post-mortem examination, the next big challenge will be the "disposal of the carcass," Gerron said on Thursday.

"You need a lot of heavy equipment... they are working on it right now," she said. "They are looking at... either a potential site to bury it or a landfill that can take the soft tissue."

Adult finbacks, which can reach up to 27 meters (88 feet) and weigh up to 70 tons, are found in all the world's oceans and can live up to 100 years.

According to the Riverhead Foundation, which is based on Long Island, at least 25 species of whales and dolphins have been seen in the New York region.


Related Article:


Friday, December 21, 2012

Another humpback whale spotted near the Dutch coast

Dutch News, Thursday 20 December 2012

The whale swimming off the Dutch coast. Photo: Hans Verdaat/Imares

A large humpback whale was on Thursday spotted swimming in the sea off the coast near Castricum by scientists with the Imares marine research institute.

The whale, a 12-metre adult, was some 1.5 miles from the shore. It looks healthy, was ‘relaxed, using its blow hole and eating’, said the Imares researchers, who were counting sea birds.

According to the Dutch lifeboat association, the humpback may be with a small calf, which is keeping very close.

Unique

Last weekend, an adult female humpback died after becoming stranded on a sandbank off the coast of the Wadden Sea island of Texel. A dead sperm whale also washed up in the same area.

A spokesman for marine research organisation Ecomare told Nos television it is important to leave the whale in peace.

‘But using binoculars to view them from the shore is to be recommended,’ a spokesman said. ‘It is not often you can go whale watching in the Netherlands.’

Imares said the current spate of sightings of large marine life is very special. 'It is unique to have seen humpbacks, one sperm whale and two ocean sunfish within a week,' the organisation said.

Two rescue attempts to free the whale failed. (Photo: Novum)



A Close Encounter with two Southern Right Whales and the transmission 
of the New Light Codes for the 10/10/10 Portal.


"The Akashic System of Remembrance" - Sep 2010 (Kryon Channelling) - Reference to Whales/Dolphins/Animals > 28:00 min

Matthew preparing us for the Golden Age – Jan 19, 2012 (Matthew Channelling by Suzy Ward)

“… The cetaceans’ spiritual mission, to embody in huge bulk and inhabit your oceans where they absorb and anchor the light beamed to the planet from distant civilizations, soon will have been fulfilled.  These whale and dolphin souls, which species-wide are the most highly evolved spiritually and intellectually on your planet, will soar to their original light stations when they leave physically, but they will continue to grace your planet with their love energy. ”

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Seized Argentina navy ship Libertad leaves Ghana

BBC News, 19 December 2012

Related Stories

The Libertad had been held in Tema
since 2 October
An Argentine navy ship detained in Ghana since October has been released and has now left the country.

The Libertad set sail from Ghana's main port of Tema after a United Nations court last week ordered its release.

Argentina sent almost 100 navy personnel to man the three-masted training ship.

It was impounded after a financial fund said it was owed money by Argentina's government as a result of a debt default a decade ago.

'Immunity'

On Saturday, the UN Tribunal for the Law of the Sea ordered Ghana to release the ship, arguing that it had immunity because it was a military vessel.

It set a deadline of 22 December for the ship to have left the port.

The court said that holding the ship was "a source of conflict that may endanger friendly relations among states".

In November, sailors on board the Libertad reportedly pulled guns on Ghanaian officials when they tried to board the vessel to move it to another berth.

Almost 100 navy personnel arrived at
 Kotoka International Airport to sail
the Libertad home
The lengthy diplomatic row began when the ship was prevented from leaving Ghana on 2 October, after a local court ruled in favour of financial fund NML Capital. The fund is a a subsidiary of US hedge fund Elliot Capital Management which is one of Argentina's former creditors.

The fund said it was owed $370m (£233m) by the Argentine government after the country defaulted on its debt in 2001 and 2002.

NML Capital was seeking $20m in return for the release of the Libertad.

Most of the loans on which Argentina defaulted were subsequently restructured, giving creditors about 30% of their money back.

However, some creditors including Elliot chose to hold out, pursuing the Argentine government through the courts.

Related Article:


Sunday, December 16, 2012

Ghana told to free Argentine ship Libertad by UN court

BBC News, 15 December 2012

Related Stories

The ARA Libertad is being manned
 by a skeleton crew in the port of Tema
A UN court has ordered the release of an Argentine naval ship impounded by Ghana over a debt dispute.

The UN International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, based in Germany, ruled that the ARA Libertad had immunity because it was a military vessel.

The ship has been held in the port of Tema since October when a local court ruled in favour of a financial fund.

The fund says it is owed $370m (£233m) by the Argentine government as a result of its debt default a decade ago.

A skeleton crew has stayed on board the three-masted training ship since about 300 personnel and naval cadets flew home in October.

The tribunal in Hamburg ordered that Ghana should "forthwith and unconditionally release the frigate ARA Libertad" and ensure the ship and its crew can leave Ghanaian waters.

It set a deadline of 22 December for the ship to have left the port.

Tribunal president Shunji Yanai ordered that the vessel should be resupplied if needed.

The court said that holding the ship was "a source of conflict that may endanger friendly relations among states".

Last month, sailors on board the Libertad reportedly drew guns on Ghanaian officials after they tried to board the vessel to move it to another berth.

Immunity 'violated'

An agent for the Ghanaian government who was at the court said after the ruling that it would "carefully consider the tribunal's order with a view to ensuring that it is given effect."

Financial fund NML Capital has so far not commented on the ruling.

NML is a subsidiary of US hedge fund Elliot Capital Management, which is one of Argentina's former creditors.

Argentina had argued that the seizure violated the immunity of military vessels under international maritime law.

In 2001 and 2002, Argentina defaulted on more than $100bn of debt. Most of these loans were subsequently restructured, giving creditors about 30% of their money back.

However, some creditors including Elliot chose to hold out, pursuing the Argentine government through the courts. 



Among the loans underwritten by the Export Credits Guarantee
Department  was one for £35m to Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe for
the purchase of five of BAE Systems' Hawk fighter jets. 
Photograph: PA


Former Indonesian president General Suharto. Britain lent 
the country  more than £630m at a time when Suharto 
was stifling demonstrations. Photograph: AP

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Sea Shepherd buys anti-whaling ship from Japan

Marine conservation group acquires ship from unsuspecting Japanese authorities through US firm

guardian.co.uk, Justin McCurry in Tokyo, Tuesday 11 December 2012

The Sam Simon is named after the Los Angeles-based philanthropist and
co-creator of The Simpsons. Photograph: Carolina A Castro/AP

The marine conservation group Sea Shepherd has scored a propaganda victory over Japan after it emerged it had bought its newest anti-whaling vessel from the Japanese government, apparently without its knowledge.

The $2m dollar vessel, which previously belonged to the country's meteorological agency, was bought from unsuspecting Japanese authorities by a US company, re-registered in the Pacific island of Tuvalu as the New Atlantis, and delivered to Australia by a Japanese crew.

The ship, which was unveiled on Tuesday in Hobart, was reflagged to Australia and named after Sam Simon, the founding producer of The Simpsons TV series and a prominent animal rights campaigner.

It is the newest addition to a fleet of four Sea Shepherd vessels that is expected to pursue Japan's whalers soon after they leave for the Antarctic later this month.

"We have four ships, one helicopter, drones and more than 120 volunteer crew from around the world ready to defend majestic whales from the illegal operations of the Japanese whaling fleet," said Sea Shepherd's founder, Paul Watson.

Watson will join this season's campaign, operation zero tolerance, despite jumping bail in German after being placed on an Interpol wanted list for allegedly endangering a fishing vessel crew in 2002.

To compound Japan's embarrassment, the 184ft vessel was previously moored in Shimonoseki, home to the country's Antarctic whaling fleet, after being retired by the meteorological agency in 2010.

In its past incarnation as the Seifu Maru, the ice-strengthened vessel's duties included gathering data on ocean currents for Japan's north Pacific whaling fleet, according to Sea Shepherd.

The group has pursued Japan's whalers across the icy waters of the Southern Ocean every winter since 2005. In February, the whaling fleet was called back to reportearly with just one-fifth of its planned catch following clashes with activists.

The Sam Simon's skipper, Lockhart MacLean, said he hoped to intercept the whaling fleet's factory ship before a single whale was killed. "The goal is to find the factory ship, the Nisshin Maru, and to pin the bow of this ship on the stern of that factory ship throughout the duration of the campaign, and send them home without any whales killed," he told Reuters.

"We're confident we can seriously impact their whale quota. This year all four of their harpoon ships are going to be tied up by our four ships, and the goal is that no harpooning can be done."

Sea Shepherd's hi-tech powerboat, the Ady Gil, sank after a collision with a Japanese whaling ship in January 2010.

The International Court of Justice in the Hague is due to rule next year at the earliest on a move by the Australian government to end Japan's Antarctic whaling programme.

A clause in the International Whaling Commission's 1986 ban on commercial whaling allows Japan to kill almost 1,000 whales each year for what it calls "scientific research".

The meat is sold to restaurants and supermarkets, although the public's waning appetite for the delicacy has created a huge stockpile of unsold produce.

A recent survey by the International Fund for Animal Welfare found that more than 88% of Japanese had not bought whale meat in the past 12 months.

Monday, December 10, 2012

Bali Police Seize 33 Endangered Turtles

Jakarta Globe, Made Arya Kencana, December 10, 2012

Marine police in Bali carry sea turtles after they were seized from an illegal
 poacher in Denpasar on Monday. Although regulated by law, sea turtle and
parts of turtle trade is still frequently taking place in many places in Indonesia.
(EPA Photo)
            
Related articles

Denpasar. Marine police in Bali have seized 33 endangered sea turtles in Denpasar, believed to have been poached to be sold to restaurants, a police spokesman said on Monday.

Bali police spokesman Sr. Comr. Hariadi said they found the green sea and hawksbill turtles on board a ship at Tanjung Benoa beach at around 11:30 p.m. on Sunday. Hariadi said there was no one else on board.

“They are believed to have been studying the location well so that they could escape the monitoring of officials,” he said, adding that they were still looking for the boat's owner and crew.

Soemarsono, the head of the Denpasar Nature Conservancy Office (BKSDA), said that some of the turtles were suffering from dehydration and estimated their selling price at between Rp 5 million ($519) to 7 million per animal.

The BKSDA office is planning to send the turtles, which are endangered and protected species, to the Serangan Turtle Conservation.

“We will treat them first and after they are well, we will release them," Soemarsono said.

He said that Bali continued to be a profitable smuggling destination because of the continuing high demand for turtle meat, including for Hindu rituals, despite the official prohibition.

The last turtle haul was in October when 16 hawksbills were rescued from a ship. There have been at least five turtle smuggling attempts in Bali this year.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Taiwanese scientists make body lotion from coral

Want China Times, CNA 2012-12-09

The body lotion made with soft coral extract. (Photo/CNA)

Taiwanese scientists have developed a body lotion made with extract from soft coral grown in aquariums.

Su Rui-hsin, an assistant researcher at the National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium in Checheng township, Pingtung county and Wu Yu-ren, an associate professor at Meiho University in the southern Taiwan township, began to study ways to made body care materials from soft coral extracts two years ago.

Wu said the extract is an effective anti-inflammatory substance and can soothe the nervous system, cure small wounds, whiten the skin and slow the aging process.

Wu said he and Su have succeeded in using the coral extract to make moisturizing body lotion, anti-wrinkle cream, skin-whitening cream and makeup-removing lotion.

The extract is drawn from coral cultivated by the National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium rather than wild coral, so the process does not damage the environment.

Su said the chemical component of the extract is very stable and the technology to obtain the extract is well established, adding that two local cosmetics companies are interested in buying the expertise.

The National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium began 10 years ago to cultivate soft corals — known to be difficult to grow in captivity — and few studies have been conducted on these species.

Thanks to its successful cooperation with Meiho University in developing the body lotion, the museum is going to enter into a strategic alliance with the university, Su added.

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Study: Polar ice caps melting gets faster

Deutsche Welle, 6 December 2012



The polar ice has melted faster in the last 20 years than in the past 10,000. A comprehensive satellite study confirms that the melting ice caps are raising sea levels at an accelerating rate.

"The planet's refrigerator", "earth's weather kitchen", "barometer of the climate system" - the polar regions are known to be important drivers of the world's climate. When the "everlasting ice" melts at an increasing rate, the rest of the world is affected. Global sea levels are rising, dark meltwater pools absorb warmth from the sun which white ice would reflect back into space. Fresh water flows into the sea, changing ocean currents and the living conditions for marine organisms.

For 20 years satellites have been monitoring earth's biggest ice shields on Greenland and in the Antarctic, using different technologies from radar to gravity measurements. In the past, the uncoordinated publication of individual one-off measurements led to confusion, especially with regard to the state of the Antarctic ice. A new study, supported by NASA and European Space Agency ESA combines the data from different satellite missions.

The Antartic is difficult terrain for
scientists to access
"It's the first time all the people who have estimated changes in the size of the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets using satellites over the past 20 years have got together to produce a single result", Andrew Shepherd from the University of Leeds in the UK explained in an interview with Deutsche Welle.

Satellite monitoring ends confusion

"Thanks to the accuracy of our data set, we are now able to say with confidence that Antarctica has lost ice for the whole of the past 20 years. In addition to the relative proportions of ice that have been lost in the northern and southern hemispheres, we can also see there's been a definitive acceleration of ice loss in last 20 years. So together Antarctica and Greenland are now contributing three times as much ice to sea levels as they were 20 years ago", says the Professor of Earth Observation.

According to the study, melting ice from both poles has been responsible for a fifth of the global rise in sea levels since 1992, 11 millimeters in all. The rest was caused by the thermal expansion of the warming ocean, the melting of mountain glaciers, small Arctic ice caps and groundwater mining. The share of the polar ice melt, however, is rising.

Greenland is melting fastest

Satellite photos track ice loss, as
shown in these images of Greenlan
d
The pattern of change differs considerably between the Arctic and the Antarctic. Two thirds of the ice loss is happening in Greenland. "The rate of ice loss from Greenland has increased almost five-fold since the mid-1990s", says Erik Ivins, who coordinated the project for NASA.

Although the Greenland ice sheet is only about one tenth the size of Antarctica, today it is contributing twice as much ice to sea levels, according to Shepherd:" It's certainly the larger player, probably just because it is at a more equatorial latitude, further from the North pole than Antarctica from the South pole." The ice on Greenland is also melting on the surface, because of increasing air temperatures.

Different conditions within the Antarctic

In the Antarctic, the situation is a more complex one. Scientists distinguish between the West and East, which are being affected differently by climate change. West Antarctica is losing ice at an accelerating rate. Many of the region's glaciers are by the sea, which is warming. It is only to be expected that the ice is melting faster here, says Shepherd.

Scientists examine the condition of
 the ice at Antarctic stations like Belgium's
Princess Elisabeth Antarctica
In the huge area of East Antartica, the ice is mostly above sea level, Shepherd explains. The air temperature is also much lower, and the experts do not expect the ice to melt on account of rising temperatures. In this part of Antarctica, the ice sheet is actually growing as a consequence of increased snowfall. This has led some critics to question the global warming theory. However for Shepherd and his colleagues, the changes are all consistent with patterns of climate warming, which leads to more evaporation from the oceans and in turn more precipitation, which falls as snow on the ice sheets.

20 years of satellites – too short to tell?

If the Greenland ice sheet were to melt
completely, sea levels could rise by seven
meters
"20 years is a very short time-scale to draw conclusions about climate change. "We are just beginning an observational record for ice", said co-author of the study Ian Joughlin, a glaciologist at the University of Washington. "This creates a new long-term data set that will increase as new measurements are made".

But the scientists are convinced the relatively new technology is the best way to keep track of climate change in inaccessible polar regions. Earth observation expert Shepherd is sure global warming is the only possible explanation for the accelerating polar ice melt. He sees especially the rapid melt in West Antarctica as a signal and a result of direct changes in the local balance between the ice sheet, the ocean and the atmosphere.

If the west Antarctic ice sheet should become unstable, it could trigger abrupt changes globally. Joughlin sees the recent ice activity in the region as a reason to pay attention, but not to panic.

Key data for the IPCC

In the last report by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), the development of the ice sheets was regarded as the major unknown factor with regard to predicting future sea level rises. "The results of this study will be invaluable in informing the IPCC as it completes the writing of its Fifth Assessment Report next year", according to Tom Wagner, NASA's cryosphere program manager in Washington.

The question of how the satellite data will influence predictions of sea level rise is not easy to answer, says Andrew Shepherd: Any model is only as reliable as its data. He hopes the more accurate satellite measurements will help improve the models . He does, however, have one reservation. The main uncertainty in climate projections is not to do with the physics or processes, the scientist says. It is the uncertainty as to what emissions scenarios nations will adopt in the future.


Related Article:

New Mini Ice Age

Global Warming - Not long Term

" .... The weather you have today, and all the alarming attributes of it, is a scenario of what was scheduled to happen on Earth anyway. I review again that the weather changes you are seeing prophesied by myself, 21 years ago, are not a surprise. The changes are not caused by the pollutants you put in the air. You call it global warming and that's a nice phrase, and perhaps that will get you to put less pollutants in the air – a very good thing. But what you are seeing in the weather shift today was not caused by Humans putting things into the air. It would have happened anyway in about 300 years." 

"We've called this process the water cycle, since it's all about water, not about air. The water is the predominant attribute of Gaia and of the weather cycle you're seeing. More predominant is the temperature of it. The cycle is ice to water and water to ice, and has been repeated on this planet over and over and over. It is not new. It is not exceptional. It is not frightening. But it's a cycle that modern humanity has not seen before, and it's a long cycle that is beyond the life span of a Human Being. Therefore, it tends to be overlooked or not seen at all !"


"In the days of the Lemurians, the water level of the Pacific Ocean was almost 400 feet lower, and that's only 50,000 years ago. [Kryon invites science to check this out – the water level at that time.] That was a water cycle working, and the reason it was lower was due to so much of the water being stored as ice. Today you're going through another water cycle that will eventually lead to cooling. The last one was in the 1400s"

"Science sees that at about 1650. As mentioned, they are so slow there is no remembrance that a Human has of them except in past writings and in the rings of the trees. The time span of the changes is so great that environmental record keeping does not exist in the form that it does today. But you can still look at the rings of the trees and at the striations of the rocks and can generally figure out that a few hundred years ago, you had a mini-ice age. Now you're going to have another one. .... Read more ..... (THE RELATIONSHIP TO GAIA - April 2010 (Kryon Channeled by Lee Caroll))



“… Now, in the process of all of this, there's going to be renewed interest in Antarctica, and you're going to find some interesting things about the land under the ice. The topography of the land under the ice does not match the topography of the ice above. Some astonishing shapes will be revealed when you map the actual land under the ice. Points of mountains are going to be revealed, giving an entire different idea of what Antarctica might have been and what its purpose really is. The continent that is uninhabitable by Human Beings may very well be the engine of life for Human Beings. And I will leave it at that. …”

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Whale shark rescued in Mexico - video

Guardian, Thursday 6 December 2012



A group of divers in Mexico rescue a pregnant whale shark from almost certain death on Wednesday. The divers, who were on a routine tourist trip to a marine nature reserve in Roca Partida, cut a thick rope which had got caught around its body. The whale shark was around 10 metres long and weighed about 15 tonnes


Related Article:


Victory for vulnerable whale sharks at Pacific meeting

Google - AFP, 5 december 2012

Whale sharks in an aquarium in the southern island of Jeju (Aqua Planet
Jeju/AFP/File)

MANILA — Asia and Pacific nations agreed at a meeting in the Philippines on Wednesday to take steps to protect whale sharks in a victory for the world's largest fish, officials said.

Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission nations agreed that tuna fishers must stop setting their nets around the vulnerable giants in order to catch smaller fish that gather underneath them, said Palau fishing official Nanette Malsol.

She said the deal binds tuna-fishing nations such as the United States, China, and Japan, and was a victory for a coalition of small Pacific nations, called the Parties to the Nauru Agreement, that has been campaigning for this measure.

"This rule follows negotiations by the Parties to the Nauru Agreement for three years to try and get the big fishing nations to adopt protections for whale sharks," said Malsol, who also heads the coalition.

The small Pacific island nations said they already imposed such a rule on their own tuna fishers.

Smaller fish like tuna congregate under whale sharks, so fishermen often seek the giants and set their nets under them to catch the other fish, said Angelo Villagomez, a spokesman of the the US-based Pew Environment Group.

As a result, whale sharks, which are considered a vulnerable species, often get entangled in tuna nets and die, he said.

Fifty whale sharks were recorded having died from tuna nets in 2010 and 19 in 2011, said Villagomez, adding that there were likely many other cases which went unreported.

Parties to the agreement reached at the Manila meeting Wednesday must free any whale shark that gets caught in their nets and must also record and report any incidents involving the giant fish, Malsol said.

The Pew group, which is also attending the meeting, is pressing for other measures to protect 143 other threatened species of sharks that are affected by tuna fishers.

However Villagomez said he doubted they would pass as some fishing countries actively catch these sharks.

Whale sharks measure as much as 12 metres (39 feet) long but are harmless to humans and feed on tiny marine animals. They have become popular tourist attractions in countries such as the Philippines, Mexico and Australia.

Swimming robot reaches Australia after record-breaking trip

BBC News, 5 December 2012

Related Stories

The robot was fished out of the water in
Byron Bay after completing its journey
A self-controlled swimming robot has completed a journey from San Francisco to Australia.

The record-breaking 9,000 nautical mile (16,668km) trip took the PacX Wave Glider just over a year to achieve.

Liquid Robotics, the US company behind the project, collected data about the Pacific Ocean's temperature, salinity and ecosystem from the drone.

The company said its success demonstrated that such technology could "survive the high seas".

The robot is called Papa Mau in honour of the late Micronesian navigator Pius "Mau" Piailug, who had a reputation for finding ways to navigate the seas without using traditional equipment.

"During Papa Mau's journey, [it] weathered gale-force storms, fended off sharks, spent more than 365 days at sea, skirted around the Great Barrier Reef, and finally battled and surfed the east Australian current to reach his final destination in Hervey Bay, near Bundaberg, Queensland," the company said in a statement.

Some of the data it gathered about the abundance of phytoplankton - plant-like organisms that convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and provide food for other sea life - could already be monitored by satellite. However, the company suggested that its equipment offered more detail, providing a useful tool for climate model scientists.

Ongoing travels

Liquid Robotics still has a further three robots at sea. A second is due to land in Australia early next year. Another pair had been heading to Japan, but one of them has suffered damage and has been diverted to Hawaii for repair.

Each robot is composed of two halves: the upper part, shaped like a stunted surfboard, is attached by a cable to a lower part that sports a series of fins and a keel.

They do not use fuel but instead convert energy from the ocean's waves, turning it into forward thrust.

Solar panels installed on the upper surface of the gliders power numerous sensors that take readings every 10 minutes.

Papa Mau was the first of the firm's four
marine robots to complete its journey
Mixing electronics and water might sound like a risky idea - but Dr Jeremy Wyatt, from the school of computer science at the University of Birmingham, said there was good reason there was so much interest in marine robotics.

"The ocean is a very big place and therefore a safe place to test autonomous robots - these Wave Gliders move slowly and have a low risk of bumping into other objects," he said.

"There are also autonomous sailing competitions in which craft plot their journey completely independently - unlike the Wave Gliders which autonomously follow a prescribed route - and there are a variety of types: robots which bob on the ocean surface, gliders and even fully autonomous submarines which plan their own routes and dive to collect data.

"We are reaching a tipping point in that the technology is becoming so cheap that it's now a much cheaper to use a robot to gather data than to pay for a manned ship to be at sea for months at a time."



Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Humpback whales creating stir off Ireland

BBC News, 3 December 2012



It could almost be saying "I'm behind you", but humpback whales aren't known for pranking boatloads of whale watchers.

The mammals have been creating a stir off Baltimore in west Cork in the Irish Republic for the last two weeks as they feed on shoals of sprat and herring.

There are five animals in the humpback group and they have been getting a lot of attention, with reports in Ireland's national newspapers and segments on the state broadcaster RTE.

The IrishWhale and Dolphin Group have been monitoring the group and believe that four of them have visited the same waters off west Cork in the past, some as recently as 2008.

"It is known from the western Atlantic that humpback whales form stable social associations with other whales on the feeding grounds, so this is not just a coincidence," the IWDG website said.

People have been getting up close to the denizens of the deep, which were once hunted to the brink of extinction, on boat trips from local harbours.

Simon Duggan is a local photographer and went out with friends to see what they could capture. 

Lifeboat crew member captured the animals bubble feeding
As can be seen from his picture he was luckier than the group on another boat, who appear to all be looking the wrong way.

"Bad weather had stopped us going out, but there was a break on Saturday so we went out," he said.

"We'd been out for a few hours and had been watching them when this one started to breach.

"It's a pretty amazing sight, there are minke whales, fin whales and lots of dolphins and harbour porpoise, but the humpbacks are rarer."

Mr Duggan got the shot because he was in the right place at the right time. He and fellow photographer Youen Jacob were looking for the whales and on this occasion Mr Jacob was steering the boat.

Both men are volunteers with the RNLI in at Baltimore Lifeboat Station and get to spend a fair amount of time at sea.

He said the animal breached about six times, so the watchers on the other boat may have been able to catch the repeat performance.

Mr Duggan said that whale watching is a popular activity in the area in the winter months.

"There really isn't a lot to do in Baltimore during November and December so it's become a bit of a hobby for me and some friends and occasionally you get to see this sort of thing."

They were photgraphed bubble feeding by Mr Jacob last week, a technique which sees the whales going under a school of fish and releasing bubbles to confuse the fish and bunch them together.

Then the whales surge upwards through the school with mouths wide open so they can scoop as many fish as possible.

The IWDG said the scenes of the animals bubble feeding were remarkable, but that while the viewing off Cork was spectacular it was not without precedent.

On its website the group said that there was going to be increased demand on whale watching boats because of the increase in activity, but that it was taking place so near to shore that a pair of binoculars would be enough to enjoy the show.




"Update on Current Events" – Jul 23, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: The Humanization of God, Gaia, Shift of Human Consciousness, 2012, Benevolent Design, Financial Institutes (Recession, System to Change ...), Water Cycle (Heat up, Mini Ice Ace, Oceans, Fish, Earthquakes ..), Nuclear Power Revealed, Geothermal Power, Hydro Power, Drinking Water from Seawater, No need for Oil as Much, Middle East in Peace, Persia/Iran Uprising, Muhammad, Israel, DNA, Two Dictators to fall soon, Africa, China, (Old) Souls, Species to go, Whales to Humans, Global Unity,..... etc.)