Giant lobster, destined for dinner, finds new home at the Dolfinarium

DutchNews, December 20, 2017

Photo: Louis the Lobster facebook page 

An 8.2 kilo lobster, auctioned off by a restaurant owner for charity, has been found a new home at the Dolfinarium amusement park in Harderwijk. 

The lobster, thought to be about 80 years old and nicknamed Louis, was the biggest ever seen by Haarlem restaurant owner Fausto Albers, the AD reported on Wednesday. 

Albers decided to auction the lobster off to the highest bidder who would then be able to enjoy a lobster-based meal. But customer Yvonne van Eeerden decided instead that Louis should not end up as dinner. 

‘I thought it was a shame to eat something so big and which had lived for 80 years,’ she told the AD. ‘So I decided to save the lobster and support a good cause at the same time.’ 

Van Eerden, who paid €400 to free Louis, had originally hoped to return the lobster to Canada, where he probably came from. That proving impossible, he has now been found a new home in his own aquarium at the Dolfinarium. 

The proceeds of the auction are going to the Ocean Clean-up Foundation which is attempting to remove plastic soup from the seas. According to local broadcaster NHTV, restaurant owner Albers has doubled Van Eerden’s donation.

Ocean threat from Hong Kong's taste for seafood

Yahoo – AFP, Dennis Chong, 10 Aug 2015

Hong Kong is the second-largest consumer of seafood per capita in Asia -- an

 average resident consumes 71.2 kilos (157 pounds) of seafood each year 

(AFP Photo/Isaac Lawrence)

Hong Kong (AFP) - A seafood lunch in Hong Kong is enjoyed by locals and visitors alike, but with threatened species on the menu and fishing practices that endanger marine life, campaigners want to change the city's appetite.

Hong Kong is the second-largest consumer of seafood per capita in Asia -- an average resident consumes 71.2 kilos (157 pounds) of seafood each year, more than four times the global average, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature Hong Kong.

Seafood is ubiquitous in Hong Kong, where

 customers often choose their fish live from

a tank (AFP Photo/Isaac Lawrence)

Yet the city of seven million has been forced to become one of the biggest seafood importers in the world as local waters are depleted of fish stocks.

Whether in high-end restaurants or waterside eateries, seafood is ubiquitous in the southern Chinese city, where customers often choose their fish live from a tank.

Baked lobster with noodles in cheese and deep-fried prawns in salted egg yolk are among local favourites.

But a "fish tank index" compiled by WWF Hong Kong found that more than 50 percent of the species available in the city's traditional restaurant tanks were from "highly unsustainable" sources.

"Overfishing is driving the collapse of the world's ocean fish stocks and edging many types of fish towards extinction, yet they are still on our menus," WWF Hong Kong conservation director Gavin Edwards told AFP.

"Hong Kong has a special responsibility to turn the tide as one of the biggest consumers of seafood."

Unsustainable fish include those caught by controversial fishing practices, such as using cyanide poison, or from overfishing already depleted species.

Popular, threatened seafood in Hong Kong include grouper, wild sea cucumber and humphead wrasse -- a coral reef fish.

Lack of information

The WWF has launched a new online seafood guide for Hong Kong detailing which types are deemed unsustainable.

Popular, threatened seafood in Hong Kong

 include grouper, wild sea cucumber and

 humphead wrasse -- a coral reef fish

(AFP Photo/Isaac Lawrence)

It also recently held a "Sustainable Seafood Week" asking restaurants to provide ocean-friendly options.

But there is still a way to go to change consumer habits.

Visiting Hong Kong for a post-graduation trip, Japanese student Ted Machizawa, 22, has just finished lunch in the coastal town of Sai Kung, famous for its seafood.

He says he had no idea whether his meal -- steamed grouper and shrimps -- could pose a threat to the ocean.

"We're just trying to see what it's like here. We are probably not too keen on knowing what kind of fish it is," he said, sitting metres away from tanks packed with live crabs and reef fish.

Hong Konger Janice Fung said restaurants rarely gave information on sourcing.

"If you go to an expensive restaurant or a specialised seafood shop they might tell you. Otherwise the information is not comprehensive," she said as she waited for a meal at Cafe Deco on the city's famous Peak, which serves a wide range of seafood.

"If you tell me what I am eating is not sustainable I will try to avoid it," she added.

Cafe Deco has opted to provide an alternative sustainable menu as part of the WWF push -- shunning the controversial delicacy shark fin, for example.

Ng Wai-lun, one of the owners of Chuen Kee Seafood Restaurant on Sai Kung's

 promenade, says he would have to scrap 70 percent of the menu to make it

 ocean-friendly, something he fears would drive customers away (AFP Photo/
Isaac Lawrence)

"You can't necessarily tell the difference (in flavour)... if you don't use shark fin to make dumplings," senior chef William Chang told AFP as he put the finishing touches to ocean trout-stuffed ravioli, a dish on the sustainable menu.

Chang says restaurants should "take the first step" to change people's eating habits.

Some suppliers are also trying to help.

Banker-turned-fish farmer Mark Kwok hopes that by farming groupers, which are on the decline in the ocean, he can help stem the crisis.

His farm in the northern hillside town of Yuen Long was accredited as sustainable by the WWF in 2013.

"We have about 35,000 fish. Even if you were to eat all of them, it wouldn't make a dent in the ecosystem because these are farmed fish that have never seen the ocean," he told AFP.

Environmentalists in the Philippines say stocks of grouper are dwindling near the island of Palawan, a major source for Hong Kong.

"We have fishermen who say they used to catch them near the coast. But now, they have to go further out to sea," said Melo Ponce De Leon, spokeswoman of the government's Palawan Council for Sustainable Development.

Fear of change

Baked lobster with noodles in cheese and 

deep-fried prawns in salted egg yolk are 

among local seafood favourites (AFP

Photo/Isaac Lawrence)

Some Hong Kong restaurateurs worry that changing their menus would dent their incomes.

"Many of our customers are from mainland China and they want to get something they have never seen before," says Ng Wai-lun, one of the owners of Chuen Kee Seafood Restaurant on Sai Kung's promenade.

"They like to pick the colourful ones... or something caught fresh from the wild," said Ng, pointing out a tank of humphead wrasse and groupers.

Ng says he would have to scrap 70 percent of the menu to make it ocean-friendly, something he fears would drive customers away.

But campaigners say progress has been made.

"We found in a recent survey that 80 percent of customers would not buy unsustainable seafood if they knew it was unsustainable," says Edwards.

"There is more awareness, but we still have much further to go."

This Video Will Make You Never Want To Eat Lobster Again

Collective Evolution, Arjun Walia, November 12, 2013

It’s the age of information, and the internet has become an excellent tool for sharing and coming together to spread awareness to begin taking  necessary action towards global change. Collective Evolution recently received an email from PETA, showing their interest in working together to spread the word about animal cruelty worldwide. It’s just another example of alternative media outlets working together as a team. We all recognize that we are working towards a common goal, and the potential we have when we come together is unlimited and far-reaching. If you haven’t checked them out, please do so here.

PETA’s groundbreaking investigation of mass crustacean slaughter recorded animals who were ripped apart and boiled alive for Linda Bean’s Maine Lobster.

Lobsters and crabs feel pain. Lobsters do not have a centralized nervous system—but instead have ganglia, or masses of nervous tissue, spread throughout their bodies— so their deaths can be prolonged. A lobster’s nervous system continues to function even after the animal is dismembered.

Lobsters are like us in many ways; they have a long childhood and an awkward adolescence. They too carry their young for nine months and can live to be more than 100 years old.

Around 2.3 million lobsters and countless crabs will be killed at this slaughterhouse this year alone. Don’t let more animals suffer this fate.

Animals are conscious, and that’s something that is obvious if you’ve ever been around them. They are just like us in the sense that they are thinking, perceiving, and altruistic beings. Even mainstream media has recognized and reported on the consciousness of animals.

I understand that the consumption of animals has taken place throughout human history, but back when the human race was driven by spirit, not ego, animals were killed only out of necessity. They were thanked, and laid to rest in a very respectful way. Today, it’s nothing short of a worldwide genocide.

This video is extremely graphic, in some cases it shows the reaction after the animal is torn apart. It begins moving rapidly in response and is clearly feeling a tremendous amount of pain. Owe it to yourself to be aware. I’m not sure if showing this video is necessary, but if you don’t like what you see then maybe you can help do something about it.

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"Current" Events –  Apr 10, 2005 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll)

"..  Animals and Reincarnation

On a lighter note, we interrupt the life and death discussion of Humans to talk about animals. There are the questions not asked, but laying there, of which you are more than curious. "Dear Kryon," it has been asked, "do animals reincarnate?"...

Again, the Human Being looks at animals as one word that covers trillions of entities on the planet. You believe that all of them either do or don't reincarnate, and you want one answer for them all. What if I was from another planet and communicated to you this question: "What color are animals? I want one answer, please." You'd laugh, and wonder what kind of singular consciousness I might have in my reality to ask such a thing.

So I say to you regarding your reincarnation question: Which ones? "You mean there's a difference, Kryon?" Oh, yes! We've already gone over the purpose of animals on the planet. We've told you many things about animals. We've told you that some of them are actually designed to be eaten, and they come for this very purpose. We've indicated to you what's wrong with the way you're treating them, and that you don't honor them in their death, or even as you extract their resources while they're alive. And that, my dear friends, is the reason there's disease in the meat. When you start honoring these animals in their death so that they can create the food that's needed for you, then you'll see the disease disappear.

This is a factor that has yet to be named in your language or your culture - the idea that there's an energy that the Human creates even in the appropriate slaughter of animals for food, the results of which change these animals and the health of the Human who consumes them. Why is it that the indigenous knew about it and you don't? It's an energy that addresses the consciousness of Gaia and the animal kingdom. It addresses the way animals are honored in death.

Animals don't all reincarnate, but some do - if it's appropriate for the Humans around them. Most of the animals on the planet don't reincarnate, but there are a select group and individuals who do, and even a "rule of thumb" that you can apply to those who do and those who don't. When I tell you about the ones who do, you're going to understand a little bit more about the process of who you are. Blessed is the Human Being who walks this planet in lesson: Everything revolves around you! It may not look like it, but it does. Gaia knows who you are when you walk on the dirt! You have a light that you can strike [create] and carry with you that will change the very elements around you. Matter will respond to what you do because you are the angels disguised as Human Beings.

Some of you have selected various animals on earth to be your partners or friends, and you call them pets. Even some of the ones to be slaughtered, if they have a Human who loves them, are pets... if only for a while. These are the ones who reincarnate.

"Why should such a thing be, Kryon? How does that work? Do they have souls? What's the ‘rule' you speak of?" In a way, they do have souls, but not as your souls are structured - not with the lessons your souls carry, or the multiple aspects you have. They're not angels, but they're support entities to those who are [Humans]. When they reincarnate the reason is in honor of the Human Being, you see? Animals, in general, don't last that long on the planet. You might have this beautiful partner, this love essence that you have with an animal pet-friend. Then that animal-friend disappears in death, for again, they don't live that long. The rule of incarnations is, therefore, "If the Human needs it, it happens." So there is a scenario created within the system that helps Humans temper the loss of this love, and we'll give it to you.

When your precious animal-friend dies, go look for another one right away. Don't wait. Don't wait! I'll tell you why. Immediately go looking in places where animal babies are. Make no presuppositions about the kind of animal or the gender. Don't necessarily try to match the one you lost. Instead, go to the places where you intuitively believe the young animals are, and look into their eyes. One of them will be the one... because it - and the Universe - knows intuitively where you're going to look!

This is the system that honors you. Many know this and have said, "I know this is so because when I found this other animal to be my partner and my pet, it started doing the same things that my former animal did - it even responded the same way to me." It's a beautiful system in honor of you. It's an acknowledgment of a broken heart, you see? So you can pick up where you left off.

Some may now ask, "What size animal are we talking about, Kryon? Is there a limit?" We say, there you go again [Kryon smile]. What size do you want? An elephant or a mouse? It doesn't make a difference. If they're loved by you and part of your karmic energy, they'll reincarnate. However, it might be prudent of you to intuitively look for the size of animal that meets your living needs. God doesn't give you an elephant when your mouse dies [laughter].

"Do Animals Reincarnate?" - NOV 22, 2010 (Kuthumi channelled by Lynette Leckie-Clark)

Sacred Animal Kingdom - Healing Divine Love" - FEB 16, 2012 (Metraton channelled by Tyberonn)

.

Bali earns US$41 mln from tuna exports

Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA News) - Bali earned a total of US$41 million from tuna exports from January to August 2007, a sharp increase from the US$24.7 million it gained during the same period last year.

The value of fresh and frozen tuna exports during the eight- month period in 2007 had surged by 66 percent, Ni Wayan Kusumawathi of the Bali provincial trade and industry office said here on Friday.

From January to August 2007, Bali exported a total of 11,952 tons of fresh and frozen tuna, up by 85 percent from 6,462 tons in the same period of last year, she said.

The average price of exported tuna from Bali had actually dropped from US$3.8 per kg to US$3.5 per kg, she said.

Bali has 700 long-line fishing boats at Benoa harbor, which is located around 15 km south of Denpasar, Bali`s provincial capital.

Bali exported tuna among other things to Japan, the United States, China and Taiwan.

Apart from tuna, Bali also exports various kinds of aquatic products, such as ornamental fish, crabs, milkfish, lobster and shark`s fins.

She said that aquatic product businessmen in Bali were facing several problems especially due to the increased fuel prices and unfavorable government policies.

C Java fish production more than 33,830 tons

Semarang (ANTARA News) - The fish catch of Central Java`s fishermen from January through March 2007 reached 33,830.18 tons worth Rp144.05 billion.

Head of the Mira Baruna rural cooperative society`s production center Mahmud said in Semarang on Friday that the fish catch in the first quarter of this year had increased compared to the 27,862.88 tons worth Rp 118.15 billion of last year`s corresponding period, thanks to the favorable climate.

He predicted that this year`s fish catch in Central Java, judging from the fish catch in the first quarter, may reach 151,756.2 tons estimated at Rp620.2 billion.

He also said that part of the fish is also exported to some counries in the form of canned tuna, frozen shrimp, canned and frozen crabs, enchovies, frozen squids, lobsters, dried fish and sardines.