Ban Balloons!

I noticed an event on FB that will be held in memory of persons to be un-named. It was dubbed "Balloons and Beers." Apparently, the organizers wanted to join up, release balloons in memorial, then reconvene for beers. In my town. Just a few miles away from my home. I sent them a note and asked them NOT to let balloons fly.

Balloons and their tethers are B-A-D! They choke, they strangle, they entangle, they slice, they suffocate, they cause blockages and deaths to birds, mammals, reptiles, fishes... and on and on.

Made from rubber (a source built on the destruction of forests), and twine (what the heck goes into that horrible twine?), balloons represent another one-and-done, use-it-once-throw-it-away, unnecessary, wasteful, human trifle. What's the point? Yay! We let a bunch of rubber and plastic loose into the environment to "celebrate" XYZ.

The movement is at hand. People are wising up.
Plastic straws? Your days are numbered.
Plastic bags? Ditto.
Balloons? I wish they were gone from this planet forever.... beginning now.

CLICK HERE for Balloonsblow.org
Warning: The imagery is grotesque.




PS: Just heard that the organizers have rethought the event and have decided not to let balloons fly. YAY!!!!

Revisiting the Salmon Question

I don't eat Salmon. I won't serve Salmon. I've banned Salmon from my home and openly shame my immediate family members for even considering Salmon on a restaurant menu.

As I dug and read and conducted research for a project on NW Atlantic and NE Pacific cetaceans, I became even more distressed over how important Salmon are in the ecosystem. A conversation with a person-who-will-remain-anonymous ensued, in which she said, "Don't tell me, I don't want to know. And anyway, there's nothing I can do." I replied, "Yes, there is something you can do. The alternative is bury your head in the sand." As a big Salmon eater, I knew I would not sway her. Instead, I'll do my small part to spread a little knowledge....

Feed: Farm-raised Salmon are fed pellets made from either all or some of these ingredients:
grains, animal byproducts, and fish meal. Before harvesting, the amount of fish meal fed to the pen-raised Salmon is increased from about 30% to 90% to increase the amount of Omega-3. Farmed fishes are being fed wild fishes at the bottom of the food chain that would otherwise be eaten by wild fishes, marine mammals, and sea birds in other parts of the world.
CLICK HERE for FAO information page.

Photo credit: FAO

Color: In the wild, Salmon are carnivores and derive their food entirely from natural prey high in fatty acids, vitamins and carotene. To make up for this gap, farmers add artificial or synthesized supplements to enhance the flesh color before harvesting.
CLICK HERE to read about CARROPHYL (R) a color enhancer.

Photo credit: K. Ganter

Water Quality: Farm-raised Salmon live, feed, and excrete in large, semi-enclosed pens. The excrement and left-over food accumulates or disperses in the surrounding water and on the bottom below, creating changes in the local environment. Pens located in high-current areas are flushed more often and are more environmentally sustainable, but labeling still doesn't require this disclosure.

Image credit: Dr. George Pararas Carayannis

Non-endemic: Northeastern Pacific, farm-raised salmon are Atlantic Salmon which do not occur naturally in Pacific waters. Escapes and pen failures have allowed non-native introductions, and with that, introduction of viruses, diseases and infections which are treated with antibiotics. These illnesses may put wild salmon at further risk.
CLICK HERE for Times Colonist article.

A little additive color with your dinner? Photo credit: Guide to Safe Salmon

Reproduction: Most wild, anadromous Salmons die after spawning. They don't re-enter the ocean and return again to natal streams to spawn a second time. They are a one-and-done species. Each wild salmon taken from the ocean takes away a potential future generation. Additionally, the carcasses of dead Salmons return vital nutrients into streams.

Photo credit: FishWithJD

Predators: Many species prey naturally on wild Salmon: bears, sea birds, pinnipeds, sharks, and Killer Whales. The Southern Resident Killer Whales are known to prey primarily on energy-rich salmon. Atlantic Killer Whales also feed on salmon. Take the salmon out, take the whales out with them... The further Salmon stocks decline, the more these whales are in peril.
CLICK HERE for a podcast and information from NOAA.

Photo credit: NOAA

Offshore Killer Whales have been shown to feed on sharks. There teeth wear down over time from the abrasive skin. These elderly whales then rely on food sharing within the pod. They have been shown to feed on Pacific Sleeper Sharks, Blue or Whitetip sharks, Opah, and halibut. Sleeper sharks are opportunistic feeders and will prey on a wide variety of fishes, marine mammals, and carrion. Large halibut prey primarily on fishes, including... you guessed it... Salmons.

In conclusion, if ignorance is bliss, then knowledge is power. Power to make informed decisions, lifestyle changes, and little changes that do make a big difference.

If you care to pick up a great book on the broader subject, check out "Four Fishes" by Paul Greenberg. Good read.

Cheers and Best Fishes for a fresh New Year!
-Val

The vanishing Vaquita

The Vaquita is a small porpoise endemic to the Gulf of California. It coexists with the Totoaba, a fish targeted for their valuable swim bladders that are thought to be highly medicinal in China and trade for thousands of dollars on the Black Market. Under pressure from conservation groups and the US government, the Mexican government has placed tight restrictions on fishing in northern GOC, but they are difficult to enforce, and the local people struggle to survive and may continue to succumb to the draw of Black Market profits. And so, the Vaquita continues to decline. It's population is not estimated at 30... a number that may not allow for recovery.

It's a sad, but true story of greed, abuse, and short sightedness. The current US administration has demonstrated a blind eye to important environmental issues, and have relaxed protections put in place by previous administrations. That is not to say we no longer have a voice and with enough support and pressure, can help turn the tide before this animal vanishes on our watch.

What can we do to help?
Support The Center for Biological Diversity CLICK HERE
Support the World Wildlife Fund CLICK HERE
Visit the Marine Mammal Commission for more information CLICK HERE

Watch this:

Al Franken on Climate Change

Smart dude!

Boiling The Frog Ep 1: Senator Al Franken Takes On Climate Change from Senator Al Franken

Mackerels, Tunas & Billfishes of the United States.

Mackerels, Tunas & Billfishes of the United States, by Val Kells

This just in... Fresh off the presses! Top-notch quality, spot-on reproduction.
You can get one HERE.

Enjoy, share, and please care for pelagics :)

Goblin Shark revistied

Original 1898 illustration showing protruding jaws (feeding/gulping position)

What is a 'goblin', anyway? According to Mirriam-Webster dictionary, a goblin is "a grotesque sprite or elf that is mischievous or malicious toward people." It adds, "Goblins are demons of any size, usually human or animal form, that are supposed to assail, afflict, and even to torture human beings." Wikipedia describes goblins as: "A Goblin is a legendary evil or mischievous grotesquedwarf-like and daemon or monster that appeared in European stories and accounts during the Middle Ages.” They are attributed with various (sometimes conflicting) abilities, temperaments and appearances depending on the story and country of origin. In some cases, goblins are little creatures related to the brownes and gnome. They are usually small, sometimes only a few inches tall, sometimes the size of a dwarf, and have magical abilities; they are greedy, especially for gold and jewelry." 

Nice.

This is what their jaws look like most of the time. 

When the David Starr Jordan described the Goblin Shark in 1898 goblins were likely still a part of the culture and lore of the time. I don't know if he coined the common name, or if it was assigned at a later date. The scientific name, Mitsukurina owstoni, honors Mr. Allen Owston who secured the first specimen from a fisherman off Japan, and Professor Keigo Mitsukuri who passed the specimen on to Jordan for official description. It is a fitting and honorable name. The unattributed common name, however, cast a spell upon the shark which remains today.

When a specimen was recently caught in a trawl net off of Australia, it was variously called "evil, vile, creepy, ugly, terrifying, disturbing, hideous." NBC news said it can also be found "in your nightmares." Inaccurate descriptors surely meant to drum up attention and feed the public's thirst for drama. The only adjectives to accurately describe it are "prehistoric," and "living fossil," as those are true.

The Goblin Shark is a rare shark indeed, and from one of the oldest lineages of Elasmobranchs. It is one-of-a-kind and the only species within its genus. It is dissimilar to all other sharks with an elongate snout and highly protrusible jaws. It's soft body allows it to live at crushing depths. It occurs in scattered circumglobal locations over deep continental shelves, upper slopes, and around sea mounts to about 4,200 ft. Encountering one in your annual trip to the beach is less likely than winning the lottery.

While I doubt the common name will change in my life time, it would be refreshing to see it done. Heck, the American Fisheries Society renamed the Jewfish~! Why not rename the Goblin Shark? Such a cool fish deserves a more flattering moniker.

Ospreys are cool.

I've been following this pair of Ospreys as a way to fill my head with happy distractions and to find hope and light in the face of so much bad news. The Chesapeake Conservancy Osprey Webcam has become my favorite reality TV show. It's real, it's natural, and it's unaffected. It is the opposite of MTV, SPIKE, and all the other mind-numbing black holes.

Enjoy. Be real. Do real.

 To learn more about the Chesapeake Conservancy, please CLICK HERE. Cheers!

 

Repeat after me: "Don't eat farm-raised Salmon."

Would you do this to your Cats or Dogs?

I hate this practice.
Stringing, hanging, or pegging dead fishes just plain goes against my moral center.
It's embarrassing...
Congratulations. You caught dinner.
Now show some humility.
And some humanity.
(Photo via Facebook. A deep well of offensive images...)

TAKE MY MONEY! :)

I just finished my taxes.
I should be depressed... I'm being taxed for working!
But right now I'm actually quite happy.
After getting over the amount due and the accompanying self-pity, I logged onto FB and pulled up this photo:

Infinity.

It dawned on me:
My net-worth is not measured in dollars.
Intangibles can't be measured...

Take my money, government.
Please use it well.

But this can never be taxed or taken, because it's immeasurable.

Saving Shad

Boy Howdy.
Seems like I go through long droughts of no news, no news... then, tons of NEWS!

This is great!
A well-organized and planned effort to re-establish the pre-existing shad fishery in the Delaware River. The results of these efforts will also benefit the Atlantic Bight and beyond. While I have not had one-on-one conversations, it's pretty obvious that these folks are determined to undo huge obstacles.

Shad and their brethren need to spawn. Until such time as the dams come down and the rivers run free and clean, it appears to me that the Delaware River Shad Fishermen's Association are willing to transport the fish one, two, three, and four at a time. So that the fish can do just that... spawn.

Below is a fellow named Phil Papineau with a net-full of the future. We have never met and may never will. Regardless, he has my deep thanks and admiration.
Way to go.
That is so cool.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE.

Bragging on a Good Thing

Bragging on my cohort and coauthor, Luiz Rocha, Ichthyologist and Curator at the California Academy of Sciences. He is not only a gifted scientist, but also a passionate educator and conservationist.

To visit Luiz's California Academy of Sciences' page, please CLICK HERE.

Fishing for Litter - Scotland

This is great.
Rather than turning their backs on a problem that is pre-existing, ongoing, and might seem overwhelming -- these fishermen have adopted a positive attitude and taken up the cause.
Our oceans have become our dumping grounds. Out of sight out of mind, as they say. But for those who make their livings on the water, the problem is never out of sight.
My hat off to the folks who thought up this initiative, and to the fishermen who are making it happen.

Wouldn't it be fabulous if this program goes GLOBAL?

Cordell Bank - a sound investment

I love this!
A simple concept set to simple music and illustrated in simple fashion.

Water > phytoplankton > krill > fish > bigger fish > even BIGGER fish.

Krill are one of the most important links in the chain.

But let's not forget: the chain really starts with water. Keep it clean, folks!

How Do I Count the Ways?

This evening I received a copy of my book so that I could personalize it as a send-off for a student who is moving on to greater things.
When I opened the cover I was blown away.

THIS is why I spent 5.5 years constructing the book, and why I'm investing another 4 more years into it's West Coast companion... the book means something. It's doing good work.

The student's name is Rachael, and I've never met her.
But, she's used my book and used it well. Clearly.

I've written my best in my best scrawl in the lower corner left specially for me.
Oh my handwriting is horrible!
("Stick to painting, cousin.")

I hope she's one of many stewards of the future.
Signs point that way...

Cheers, Rachael!

For Birds, Bees, and Fish in the Seas...

... add, don't subtract.

Midway

The sad truth.

MIDWAY : trailer : a film by Chris Jordan from Midway on Vimeo.

Doomed???

Straight-forward and to-the-point.
Time to take reverse-action!
Reduce, reuse, recycle.
Conserve, preserve, protect...

Imagine...

Your child, your children... strangled, left to suffocate, die, and rot.
Mother sharks have no vote, no say about how we treat their offspring.
We are obligated to speak and do for them what they can't do for themselves.

Please CLICK HERE.

Even Embryos Know

Evolution is so cool.
Fishes have developed a multitude of ways to detect prey and avoid being detected by predators:
Sight, smell, taste, sound, vibration... electrical current.
Turns out even embryonic sharks have ways to sense if a possible predator is near.
Another argument to support shark conservation... We've only just begun to understand them. And clearly, there is still much to be learned.