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Shaktiva

As in Sri Lanka most people have not been fully informed of the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico and that it shows signs of blazing into the worst catastrophe in human history. According to a top engineer involved in the damage control operations which has even strained relations between the United States and Britain, it was originally estimated that about 5,000 barrels of oil a day were spilling into and polluting the ocean but now they say as much as 25,000 barrels are pouring out daily. US President Barack Obama had a one hour telephone discussion on the issue with the new British Prime Minister David Cameron. The US media earlier described the Gulf oil disaster as Obama’s Katrina, a reference to the New Orleans hurricane, which seriously damaged the image of the then Bush administration. Now the media are describing it as Obama’s CarterIran – a reference to former President Jimmy Carter whose presidency was restricted to one term mainly because of his delay or weakness in handling the crisis where US embassy staff in Iran were held hostage for several months. Significantly the US was able to get veto wielding Russia and China on board to pass a United Nations Security Council resolution imposing tough sanctions on Iran for not limiting its nuclear development programmes, raising the threat of a nuclear holocaust with Israel also coming into the picture.

The engineer who has 25 years of experience and worked on some of the biggest projects says the British Petroleum (BP) platform was drilling for what it calls deep oil. The drilling is done at a point where the ocean is about 5,000 feet deep and they drill another 30,000 feet into the crust of the earth. This is right on the edge of what human technology can do. But on April 21 this year, BP hit a pocket of oil at such high pressure that it burst the safety valves all way up to the drilling rig causing it to explode and sink.Take a moment to grasp the impact of that. The pressure behind the oil is so high that it destroyed the maximum effort of human science to contain it. When the rig sank it flipped over and landed on top of the drill hole some 5,000 feet under the ocean. Now BP has a hole in the ocean floor, 5,000 feet down with a wrecked oil drilling rig sitting on top of the hole, which is spewing out 25,000 barrels of oil a day into the ocean. First BP tried to get the oil rig off the hole to cap it. That operation alone would take years and hundreds of millions of dollars to accomplish. Then how does BP cap that hole in the muddy ocean floor? There just is no way. The only piece of human technology that might address this is a nuclear bomb, the engineer says. If BP fails to cap that hole, the oil is going to destroy the oceans of the world. It takes only one quart of motor oil to make 250,000 gallons of ocean water toxic to wildlife. Are you starting to see the horror of this? Imaging what happens if that oil keeps flowing until it destroys all life in the oceans of planet earth. Who knows how big a reservoir of oil is down there and to what extent it will affect the oceans, which are critical to maintaining the proper oxygen level in the atmosphere for human life. Eventually the whole ocean might turn into an inferno. O hell what the devil is going on, God help us.

Victoria's Department of Sustainability and Environment is predicting a lower than usual number of whales to visit the waters off Warrnambool this winter.

Southern Right Whales migrate to Warrnambool's Logan's Beach Whale Nursery to breed during winter.

They have been spotted near Portland during the past month, but so far none have been seen near Warrnambool.

The Department of Sustainability and Environment's Mandy Watson says this year is likely to be the low point of a three-year cycle of whale migration.

"The only change to that would be given that we had such an unusual last year, that whether or not something has tipped the balance a little bit more and whether some more whales might start coming back," she said.

"But if you go on the normal pattern that we see, if you look at 2007 which was a very quiet year, you might expect a quiet year again."

Ms Watson says the whales seem to be spending increasing amounts of time in the water's off Portland.

"What I think is that Portland was traditionally used by the species and that as the population grows we'll see more and more of the sightings at places like Portland and Port Fairy which all seem to be important areas," he said.

Updated Mon Jun 14, 2010 2:50pm AEST

Mr Coughran says rescues are often dangerous activities. (DEC: Kevin Crane)

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A government wildlife officer who has dedicated his life to the safe rescue of whales at sea has been honoured on the Queen's Birthday.

Douglas Coughran, principal whale rescue officer of Western Australia's Department of Environment and Conservation, has today been made a Member of the Order of Australia.

Mr Coughran's work has recently led to the development of a training program to counter misconceptions about how best to rescue whales that have become entangled marine debris.

"It's not just a matter of sticking a knife in your teeth and jumping in the water," he said.

"That's the old way ... and we do know people have died doing that."

Mr Coughran says rescues are often dangerous activities, performed in bad weather and high swells with circling sharks.

He has rescued around 60 whales over three decades.

Mr Coughran says traditionally, whale rescuers have buzzed around entangled whales in a motor boat and jumped in the water to try and free the animals.

But he says jumping in the water is the most risky thing to do because you can get entangled in the gear trapping the whale and be pulled under the water.

A circling motor boat can also mimic predator behaviour, further stressing an already stressed whale, causing it to either run away or put up a fight.

Just like an aggravated cat that arches it back or shoots out its claws, a 40-to-60-tonne humpback can also lash out.

"It freaks them out something horrible," Mr Coughran said.

"They'll try and hit you with their tail. That's their form of defence."

"They are giants, but they are not always gentle. So you have got to have a real healthy respect for an animal that's under stress."

Mr Coughran's training program aims to teach people how to rescue whales in a safe way.

He says rescues should be carried out in boats with the motor turned off, and controlled by ropes attached to the whale.

Mr Coughran has helped to develop a "cutlery set" on extension poles that can be used to cut the gear trapping a whale.

The training program has been taken up by rescuers in New Zealand and South Africa, as well as throughout Australia.

Mr Coughran admits not all rescue attempts are successful because sometimes the whales run away and slowly starve to death without ever being rescued.

He says he is very appreciative of the support he has had from Australia's fishing industry for his efforts.

  
Last updated at 10:28 AM on 14/06/10  

Les Strickland has a look at a load of turbot brought in by Fred Riles and his brother Charlie. Southwest coast fishers who harvest cod are facing drastic reductions in their quota this year.

Fishermen on the southwest coast say cutting the gulf cod quota is a knee-jerk reaction that doesn't address the root of the problem. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) announced on June 2 that the total allowable catch for Northern Gulf of St. Lawrence cod in 4RS3Pn would be reduced to 4,000 tonnes from last year's 7,000 tonnes.

Department officials cited serious concerns about the health of cod stocks in the area.

"I saw it coming," said Roger Fowlow, who fishes out of Codroy. "I knew there would be a cut but I didn't think it would be that drastic."

Last year, DFO extended the cod season into December because the total allowable catch had not been caught. There were 2,322 tonnes left of the quota when the season finally closed.

Mr. Fowlow admitted catch rates were down last year, which is why he expected the cuts. However, he said catch rates are based on weight of the catch, rather than the number of fish caught, which can be misleading.

He found the numbers of fish were still good last year, but the size was down from previous summers.

Five years ago, fishers were regularly hauling in six-pound cod. Last year most fish were only a pound or two, according to Mr. Fowlow.

I was getting stuff on the gear that wasn't big enough to sell, he said. Business

The cut will be felt especially hard by fishers who rely solely on groundfish for a living.

Mr. Fowlow said he fished cod for 18 weeks last year. He thinks he will be lucky to get six or eight weeks this year. While many southwest coast fishers also harvest lobster, those with only groundfish quotas will likely see a serious drop in their earnings.

Harlan Warren of Margaree is in just such a predicament. He said his other main licence is for grey sole, and he hasn't been able to find a buyer for that species since last August.

He believes the recession has taken a heavy toll on the industry. According to Mr. Warren, the rumoured price for cod this year is said to be between 40 and 50 cents per pound.

Add to that a rumour of a 36-hour halibut season in coming weeks, and he's left wondering how he will ever turn a profit after the cost of bait, fuel and preparation.

He isn't convinced that the cod stocks are in as much danger as DFO suggests.

"All years are different. They could've been in deeper water. They chase the bait," he said.

Seals

Earle McCurdy, president of the Fish Food and Allied Workers (FFAW) believes DFO should address the grey seal population in the gulf along with reducing the quota.

"DFO talks about ecosystem management. That's a hollow slogan if they don't address the predator/prey relationship," said Mr. McCurdy in a news release.

He suggested a better approach would have been an aggressive program to reduce the grey seal population.

Mr. Fowlow said even FFAW's approach is too narrow. He believes there are several factors that have led to the downturn in stocks. Grey seals are only a small part of that decline is his mind.

"They've got to look into why we're gone back to where we are. There's four or five things that all added up," he said.

Among the problems Mr. Fowlow sees not being addressed are large seiners harvesting capelin offshore. He said capelin is a main source of food for the cod. He has noticed that capelin don't roll in on Codroy Valley beaches to spawn anymore.

Another problem he sees is how the stock migrates. DFO scientists have proven that the northern gulf stock swims north in the summer and south in the winter. Mr. Fowlow believes the stock is being depleted during the winter by ships fishing in southern 3Ps.

The FFAW and DFO both maintain there is no proof the gulf stock swims that far south.

reporter@gulfnews.ca

"I think that the bigger problem for harp seals is the loss of sea ice due to global warming."

- Brian Skerry

In this TED talk, National Geographic photojournalist Brian Skerry (video found at link at the end of article) illustrates, with his underwater photography, the ocean’s natural glory, but he also shows the horror that anthropogenic activities have brought onto oceans around the world. For example, the true unseen costs of a shrimp dinner might be hundreds of pounds of bycatch, which are animals and plants that are caught with the targeted species, by fishermen, but these animals and plants have no commercial value. Bycatch is are often killed during the fishing process and thrown back into the sea as trash.

One of Brian Skerry’s most celebrated underwater images is this diver with a Southern right whale. You can see more of Brian Skerry’s right whale images in National Geographic Magazine’s October issue or here and here.

Swarms of giant, stinging jellyfish have been spotted off the Cornish coast Photo: APEX NEWS

But hundreds have headed for the Cornish coast as giant plankton blooms have flourished.

Diver Andy Pearson was surrounded by over 200 Lion's Mane jellyfish while looking for basking sharks at Sennen, Coverack and Kynance Cove in Cornwall.

He also spotted swarms of the smaller and rarer blue jellyfish – which also carry a nasty sting.

He said: "Usually there will be one or two but the jellyfish were literally everywhere in the water. It was worrying.

"Lion's Mane jellyfish don't normally travel as far south as Cornwall but the cold winter has made the sea temperature drop and these jellyfish are most at home in cold water.

"They feed on plankton and there's a lot around at the moment too which has probably attracted them."

He sounded a warning to anyone heading for the waters off the South West too.

"It was really spectacular to see so many jellyfish so close but we had to be careful to avoid getting stung by the tentacles.

"Swimmers really need to be careful because the Lion's Mane can give a potent sting."

The Lion's Mane is one of the largest species of jellyfish and can reach up to two metres in diameter.

Ruth Williams, a marine conservation officer at Cornwall Wildlife Trust, also warned water users to beware.

She said: "It's unusual to get them in such massive swarms in Cornwall as they are normally found offshore further north.

"They are not active swimmers so are reliant on the current and winds and have probably been pushed off course. They are one of the more dangerous jellyfish and their tentacles are incredibly long. They can give a nasty sting.

"I would warn swimmers to stay well clear of their trailing tentacles."

The tentacles of the Lion's Mane can reach up to three metres long and are covered in stinging cells which can produce blisters, muscular cramp and can affect respiratory and heart function.

The jellyfish was even the subject of a Sherlock Holmes story, The Adventure of the Lion's Mane, which is centred around a professor who is mysteriously killed.

At the end of the story Holmes discovers the killer is a huge Lion's mane jellyfish

Tamsin Thomas, from the RNLI, said: "The RNLI lifeguards are aware of numbers of jellyfish around the coast at the moment.

"We are providing general information to beach users advising them to steer clear of the jellyfish if they possibly can but to still enjoy the wonderful Cornish beaches and sea.

"People are also advised to seek the assistance of an RNLI lifeguard if they do get stung."

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• Giant jellyfish wash up on shores of Wales as temperatures soar
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