SAINT HELIER, Jersey (AFP) – The global forum charged with both protecting and overseeing the hunting of whales ended a four-day session Thursday with a walkout by pro-whaling nations in order to block a vote on the creation of a new sanctuary. The 63rd annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), in other words,…
BANGKOK – A healthy population of snow leopards, elusive big cats threatened across their homes in the mountain ranges of Central Asia, has been found in one of the few peaceful areas of Afghanistan, a wildlife group said. Camera traps documented the secretive, usually solitary animals at 16 different locations across the Wakhan Corridor, a…
TAIPEI (AFP) – Taiwan, one of the world’s major shark catchers, announced plans on Sunday to tighten measures against hunting the ocean predator for its fin, the island’s top fisheries official said Sunday. Taiwan fishermen are already barred from tossing sharks back into the water to die after slicing off the fin — a delicacy…
SYDNEY (AFP) – Tsunami-hit Japan may find sympathy from other nations at this year’s global whaling meeting, but this should not cloud opposition to killing whales, Australian minister Tony Burke said Monday. As the chronically deadlocked International Whaling Commission (IWC) is set to begin a four-day meet in Jersey, many Japanese coastal communities have yet…
SAINT HELIER, Jersey (AFP) – The International Whaling Commission gathered Monday beset by familiar divisions and facing calls for reforms to improve transparency and root out alleged corruption. Whether or how to revamp the global body overseeing both the protection and hunting of whales dominated debate at the opening session of its 63rd annual meeting….
PARIS (AFP) – Millions of tonnes of plastic debris dumped each year in the world’s oceans could pose a lethal threat to whales, according to a scientific assessment to be presented at a key international whaling forum this week. A review of research literature from the last two decades reveals hundreds of cases in which…
By Mickey Z., Planet Green Five of the eight species of tuna would not be in danger of extinction (according to the latest Red List of Threatened Species, compiled by the Swiss-based International Union for the Conservation of Nature) if humans didn’t kill and eat them. Thus, in that spirit, I present … six reasons…
WASHINGTON – Threatened with a series of state laws cracking down on cramped cages, the egg industry on Thursday said it would agree to seek federal regulation to improve conditions for egg-laying hens. In an unusual move, the United Egg Producers announced the effort in a joint appearance with the Humane Society of the United…
SAN FRANCISCO – Conservation groups and federal fisheries managers have settled a lawsuit seeking to spur the government to finalize its plan for creating a large protection zone for endangered leatherback sea turtles off the U.S. Pacific coast. The settlement filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court requires the National Marine Fisheries Service to finalize its…
RALEIGH, N.C. – Four former workers at a North Carolina testing lab have been indicted on felony animal cruelty charges, following an animal rights group’s undercover investigation that captured video images of animals being hit, kicked and thrown, officials said Wednesday. Gates County District Attorney Frank Parrish said Christine Clement and Tracy Small were indicted…