Protections for Right whale, sawfish and red snapper

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Permission to CROSS POST!! "Lainie" lainie48317 Wed, 27 Jun 2007 18:23:44 -0500[uSAP] Fw: Protections for Right whale, sawfish and red snapper - Vikki Spruill, President and CEO, Ocean

Conservancy lainie48317 (AT) comcast (DOT) net Wednesday, June 27, 2007 2:02 PM Protections for Right whale, sawfish and red snapper View a version of this email in your Web browser Dear lainie, June 2007 Take Action Support Us Become a Member Renew Your Membership Include Us in Your Will Find yourself a nice comfy place to sit and settle in because this enewsletter is full to the brim with great news from Ocean Conservancy. From climate change to wildlife to marine debris, Ocean Conservancy is leading the way to a healthier ocean. Thank you for your support. Victories like these wouldn't be possible without you. Red snapper recovery plan reaches milestoneThe Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council has adopted a plan to end the chronic overfishing of red snapper and rebuild the Gulf's signature fish to sustainable levels. The plan will establish science-based catch levels and reduce unwanted "bycatch" significantly. In the long run, a healthy red snapper population will improve the ecological health of the Gulf and, ultimately, support catch levels over three times higher than

present--a win-win for the Gulf's environment and its economy. "The Gulf Council ... is poised to reverse twenty years of fishery management failures. The new plan helps put red snapper on a course to true recovery," said Chris Dorsett of Ocean Conservancy. For more on our work in the Gulf, visit: www.oceanconservancy.org/gulfofmexico International trade of sawfish bannedIn a landmark decision, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) agreed to ban international trade in six of seven of the world's "critically endangered" sawfish species, thanks to a proposal from the US and Kenya. The US population of smalltooth sawfish has declined an estimated 99%, and individuals are now found regularly only in a few protected areas of Florida. An Ocean Conservancy petition led to the listing of

smalltooth sawfish under the US Endangered Species Act, which in turn led to a recovery plan that promoted CITES protection for all sawfish species. Ocean Conservancy staff advocated for the sawfish listing at the recent CITES meeting, as they did in 1997 when the measure was first proposed. For more on sawfish, visit: www.oceanconservancy.org/sawfish Right whale mothers and calves get protectionRight whale mothers and calves, the two most important players in the survival of this highly endangered species, will now receive extra protection in the right whale's calving grounds off of the Southeast US. Ocean Conservancy led the effort to pressure the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to finalize a seasonal closure of the gillnet fishery in this area where the whales are most vulnerable. NMFS received over 4500 letters

in support of the rule all from Ocean Conservancy's committed member and activist network! Thank you to everyone who helped support the cause. Saving just two females each year could turn things around for the species. For more on right whales, visit: www.oceanconservancy.org/rightwhales Ocean Conservancy scientists and program staff say, "Thank you!"In the days leading to World Ocean Day, Ocean Conservancy sent a mailing to 66,000 of our members and included a "note of appreciation" card they could send back to thank our science and program staff for their hard work. Suffice it to say that we were overwhelmed by the response. An outpouring of personal stories and notes came in. They touched our hearts, encouraged us, and reaffirmed our belief that together we can change the world. From all of our science and

program staff we want to extend a heartfelt and sincere "Thank you!" to all who took the time to write with their support. To read sample responses or contribute your own, visit: www.oceanconservancy.org/thankyouscientists Ocean Conservancy releases ICC data, gears up for ‘07Ocean Conservancy has released its annual report from the 2006 International Coastal Cleanup. Last year 358,617 dedicated volunteers in 68 countries not only removed seven million pounds of debris from the ocean, rivers, lakes and waterways, but they also recorded what they found. An analysis of that data is completed by Ocean Conservancy to provide the most detailed picture of marine debris currently available. It also provides insight to where the trash comes from and how it ends up in our ocean and waterways. For instance, 1,074 animals were found

entangled in marine debris by our volunteers; only one survived. To get the facts, visit: www.oceanconservancy.org/iccreport. To register for this year’s cleanup, coming September 15, please visit: www.oceanconservancy.org/icc Good Mate asks boaters to pitch inOcean Conservancy, with support from the Brunswick Public Foundation, is expanding its "Good Mate" boater outreach program to include the International Coastal Cleanup. In 2006, the ICC collected millions of pounds of marine debris worldwide from the same waters that provide relaxation, adventure, escape and recreation to boaters. To help the cause, Ocean Conservancy offers a kit including decals with tips on clean boating, new boater-themed promotional ICC posters and

brochures, and an educational CD. In addition, we are partnering with National Marina Day on Saturday, August 11th, to educate boaters about being better stewards on the water. For more on Good Mate, visit www.oceanconservancy.org/goodmate DiCaprio doc features Ocean Conservancy scientistsLeonardo DiCaprio's new environmental documentary, "11th Hour," will be released internationally in August, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Of the three ocean scientists interviewed for the film, two represent Ocean Conservancy. Wallace J. Nichols, our senior sea turtle scientist, and Sylvia Earle, a board member, both weigh in with their thoughts on the future of the world and our ocean. Be sure to catch the film. For more on climate change, visit www.oceanconservancy.org/climatechange. Blogfish hosts first “Carnival of the Blue”On June 8, Ocean Conservancy’s blogger par excellence Mark Powell hosted the first-ever “Carnival of the Blue,” an aggregation of all the leading blog content about the ocean. Essentially, a Carnival is an edited short list of the day’s best thoughts from the blogosphere on a given topic—in this case, the ocean. Editorial oversight shifts regularly from blogger to blogger to keep things interesting. For those of you not familiar with Mark’s work, do yourselves a favor and check out his blog at blogfishx.blogspot.com then head right to “Carnival of the Blue” at: blogfishx.blogspot.com/2007/06/carnival-of-blue.html Once again, thank you for your continued support. Sincerely, Vikki N. SpruillPresident and CEOOcean Conservancy If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up to receive e-mails from Ocean Conservancy. This message was sent to lainie48317 (AT) comcast (DOT) net. If you prefer not to receive future e-newsletters from Ocean Conservancy, please select from the following options: Filter out future e-newsletters Change your e-mail preferences or from all Ocean Conservancy e-mail Home | Contact Us | Site Map | Privacy Policy | Legal Information© 2001-2007 Ocean Conservancy

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