The recent reporting of the recovery of a tagged yellowfin tuna comes as a surprise to fisheries biologists.The tag, sent from the National Research Institute of Far Seas Fisheries in Shizuoka, Japan, was just received by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources' (DNR) Marine Resources Division. The tagged fish measured about 68 inches, weighed approximately 189 pounds, and was captured on May 26, 2010 off the west coast of Africa off Mauritania. The fish was initially tagged by a volunteer angler participating in the Marine Division's game fish tagging program on April 20, 2001, just south of Cat Island in the Bahamas. At the time of tagging, the juvenile yellowfin was just shy of 15 pounds.
RCMP to confiscate more guns before registry ends By Jeff Davis, Postmedia News With the firearms registry on death's door, the RCMP are using what little time remains to reclassify and seize certain scary-looking guns from Canadian firearms owners. Among the guns being seized is a small-calibre varmint rifle called the Armi Jager AP80. Like many non-restricted rifles, it is semi-automatic and fires the .22-calibre bullet, the smallest and weakest used in any long gun. The AP80 has been singled out because it looks too much like the infamous AK-47 assault rifle, although it shares no parts or technical similarities with that infamous battle rifle. On Dec. 20, the RCMP Canadian Firearms Program — the office charged with administering gun control regulations in Canada — served hundreds of registered firearms owners with a "notice of revocation." Nearly 600-Pound Bluefin Tuna Sells for $736K in Japan An almost 600-pound bluefin tuna caught off the coast of Japan set the all-time auction record yesterday at Japan's famous Tsukiji Fish Market. How much did the fish sell for? About $736,000 dollars. That's a lot of tuna salad. From this story in the Washington Post: Recreational fishers fined $5,000 for disturbing sea lions and overfishing Two recreational halibut anglers received $5,000 in fines after pleading guilty to several offences under the Fisheries Act. According to a Fisheries and Oceans Canada media release, Vancouver Island fisherman Nolan Wilks pleaded guilty in October 2011 to disturbing Stellar sea lions, a contravention of the marine mammal regulations. Wilks also pleaded guilty to exceeding the daily limit for halibut and obstructing a fishery officer. "Wilks was fined $2,000 for disturbing the Stellar sea lions, and $500 for each of the other two counts," states the media release. Three years after getting guns, parks wardens have yet to use them By Jamie Komarnicki, Postmedia News Canada's national parks wardens — who fought a drawn-out court battle to be armed with handguns — have not discharged a firearm on the job since they first began carrying the weapons three years ago. Parks Canada, the federal agency that runs the warden service, said the restructured program implemented in 2009 is working well. The Heckler and Koch 9 mm handguns, which parks wardens carry along with batons and pepper spray, are issued for the safety of public and staff, said Jonah Mitchell, acting director of Parks Canada's law enforcement branch. Whether they're deployed on the job isn't used as a benchmark of whether the program is working, he said. It turns out that a photo of the Oregon gray wolf that crossed into California last week, and is still roaming in the Golden State, most likely does exist. OR-7, a 2-year-old wolf that made history on Dec. 28 by becoming the first known wild wolf in California in nearly 90 years, has been tracked by Oregon biologists since they fitted him with a GPS collar last February. They did not take a photo, though, and there were no verified sightings of the predator as it trekked from northeast Oregon to California on a zig-zagging path spanning more than 700 miles. Anyone for dolphin sandwich? The worrying rise of 'bushmeat of the sea' as fishermen also serve up seals and walruses By Lee Moran They may be man's best underwater friend but more dolphins are being killed for food than ever before. The eating of sea mammals - including seals, sea lions and walruses is becoming increasingly popular in poor nations across the world. Fishermen struggling to make ends meet, because of a fall in coastal fish catches, are being forced to turn to the more meaty alternatives. Martin Robards, of Alaska's Wildlife Conservation Society, conducted the study of 900 sources after only hearing anecdotal stories about the phenomenon. He said: 'This is essentially a bushmeat problem. It is now clear that human consumption of marine mammals is geographically widespread, taxonomically diverse, and often of uncertain sustainability.' From this story on foxnews.com: Scientists have discovered the world's first hybrid sharks in Australian waters, with multiple generations of the new creature found along the nation's east coast. Scientists say the discovery of interbred sharks could signal the presence of new "tropical" sharks in waters as far south as Sydney, The Australian reported. "Wild hybrids are usually hard to find, so detecting hybrids and their offspring is extraordinary," said Jennifer Ovenden from the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries. Update: Alleged Minnesota Poacher Faces Felony Charges by Scott Bestul Shown here in a fist-pumping hero shot before the police showed up, Ryan Jackson of Rushford, MN, hasn’t had much to celebrate since. If you frequent this blog, you may recall the story we broke last month about a buck allegedly poached from an enclosure only 20 miles from my home. Apparently, Mr. Jackson shot the buck, dragged it from the pen, and registered it as a wild, hunter-harvested deer. |