News
Dolphins and other sea species in Japanese Waters face extinction
Japan’s hunting of dolphins, smaller whales and porpoises is threatening some species with extinction in its coastal waters, a report by a British environmental group has said.
The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) report says that more than a million such creatures have been killed in Japanese hunts in the past 70 years.
It says that each year thousands are killed despite conservation concerns.
The Japanese government has not commented on the report.
But it has consistently defended its coastal whaling as a longstanding tradition, a source of livelihood and necessary for scientific research.
The government has also argued that small cetaceans should be excluded from the International Convention on Whaling.
The Japanese practice of driving many dolphins and porpoises onto beaches to be slaughtered has drawn international condemnation.
The EIA says that it is also unsustainable, and a danger to human health. Studies have found high levels of mercury and industrial chemicals like PCBs in dolphin and porpoise meat.
One study found people living in one dolphin-eating community in central Japan have mercury levels five times higher than normal.
“A comprehensive analysis of the available scientific data demonstrates unequivocally that there are grave concerns regarding the sustainability of these hunts,” the EIA report says.
It goes on to accuse the government of “displaying a lack of responsibility” in ensuring the sustainability of small cetacean populations in Japanese waters – warning that its annual quota of 16,000 dolphins is far too high.
The EIA says that the quota is based on 20-year-old data and that dolphin populations are much lower now.
The conservation status of each species varies, the report says, depending on its range and hunting practices.
Catch limits for Dall’s porpoises are 4.7-4.8 times higher than the safe threshold, it claims.
For the striped dolphin, once the mainstay of the industry but now endangered and disappearing from some areas, catches have dropped from more than 1,800 in the 1980s to about 100 today.
Anyone who has seen the documentary The Cove will know how controversial Japan’s annual dolphin hunt can be.
Hundreds of animals are driven into a bay where men jump into the water and cut their throats, turning the sea red.
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Discover Curaçao with the Ultimate Dive Vacation Guide – 2024 DEMA Special Edition
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News
Santa Divers take the Plunge for Charity
Ho Ho Ho! Vobster Quay’s recording-breaking charity Santa diving event returns on Sunday 15th December 2024 for another round of festive fundraising frivolities. Run in aid of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Help For Heroes, this ever-popular annual fundraising event aims to raise sack-loads of cash for these two very deserving charities.
Divers of all levels are invited to grab their Santa outfits – and as much festive cheer as they can muster – and head down to Vobster Quay near Mells, Somerset for a mass sponsored Santa dive in aid of charity. In previous years, the event has attracted divers from the far corners of the UK to join in the festive merriment for a final festive dive before the Christmas and New Year break. Back in 2015, the event smashed the world record for the most Santa divers with 188 divers taking to the waters donning their festive finery – a record that remains unbeaten to this day!
Vobster Santas isn’t just about setting records – it’s also about raising some serious cash for charity. Vobster Quay encourages all divers to get into the spirit of the season to raise much-needed funds for two very deserving charities – the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Help For Heroes.
Through individual sponsorship and online donations, divers can invite their friends, family and work colleagues to sponsor them to plunge into the balmy waters of Vobster Quay dressed in full festive finery. Since the very first Santa dive in 2007, the event has raised over £52,000 for charity. “It’s been over 17 years since the very first charity Santa dive took place at Vobster Quay and every year the event just keeps getting bigger and better” enthused Vobster Quay owner, Amy Stanton.
“Vobster Santas is a great way for divers to say a massive thank you to the both the RNLI and Help For Heroes – two very deserving charities close to our hearts. We’re immensely proud of all that Vobster Santas has achieved and hope that even more divers will join this year’s event on Sunday 15th December. I’m confident that we can make Vobster Santas 2024 the biggest yet!”.
Divers wishing to participate can get involved by simply registering their attendance at
www.vobster.com/event-vobstersantas.php.
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