Sometimes, it’s not just about us. This is what people have to learn and realize. There are
many marine creatures that we should care for. For instance fishing with nets usually ends up with more than just fish. More often than not, you get garbage and other animals caught on the net. Thus, we are facing the problem of another endangered species, the turtles.
Off the Gulf of Mexico, endangered sea turtles are washing upon the shore. According to biologist, Lyndsey Howell, the smell is unbearable. This was in April last year and according to Howell, 30 dead in just one month. There is no sign of disease or water contamination so the scientist went to do what she does best – research into the whys.
What she and her discovered was that the endangered sea turtles all had wounds, some had parts missing and it appeared to be from boat propellers or nets. Their suspicions were confirmed not long after – shrimping was the main cause.
Shrimping is catching shrimps with fish nets. You’ve seen it in Forrest Gump, the movie. Sometimes they just got trash, other times it was mounds of shrimp and small fish. In this case, turtles were getting caught in the net because it was that time of the year when they come closer to shore to nest.
More awareness of the problems of shrimping among fishermen is important, but there is also a federal program that has been started that is more aggressive and everyone is hoping will stop the unnecessary deaths. The main objective of this program is to improve the Kemp’s ridleys so that it goes from endangered to threatened. Hopefully, it aims to increase nesting females to 10,000 per season. This will increase the population and turn the tide for the sea turtles.
From a different angle, there is also the problem sea turtles face in other areas of the world. For instance in South Africa, pollution into the sea is destroying the corals and killing the sea turtles. The waters are becoming so polluted even humans are finding it difficult to find clean, safe water. Thus there are efforts ongoing to save rain water and cleanse the water system not just for the turtles but for the people living there.
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“There are plenty of fish in the sea” goes the cliché. Taken literally though, it’s not always the case. Especially when it comes to fish that we eat. The Atlantic Halibut is currently put on the endangered list of animals as a result of overfishing. The most common reason for this, of course, is because the fish is consumed in large quantities by humans. It’s a favorite for recipes like beer battered fish and chips or simply pan fried. Now humans will have to pay the price for overfishing as it risks becoming extinct, which will cause many problems up the food chain.
Unlike many other species of animals, fish tend to feed off each other. Typically, smaller fish are consumed by the larger fish. For example, the Halibut feeds off Cod and Haddock. However, adding humans into the mix mean that there wouldn’t be enough food for everyone. When the smaller fish are all consumed, there’s not enough food for the larger fish and they subsequently disappear. To meet with the demand for fish as food, many of the fish including Atlantic Halibut are being farm raised. The problem becomes severe when fish who need more time maturing are being eaten faster than they can grow up.
It’s evident that saving these fish begins with lessening consumption. Many efforts by Greenpeace organizations are making consumers aware of whether or not the fish they consume are part of a growing list of endangered species. With regards to fishing activities, it may be time to think about whether or not this activity must involve bringing home a fish to the dinner table! That way, the cliché “There are plenty of fish in the sea” can truly be said without doubt.
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For almost every child, going to the Giant Otter exhibit is the most important part of their zoo visit. There, they can witness these gorgeous and massive mammals interact with each other inside and outside the water. They get to listen to their calls and even sometimes watch them be fed by a trainer. For a child, that is one of the neatest things they get to experience. Little do they know that the Giant Otter is an endangered species of animals. Their population is threatened every day.
The Giant Otter originally habitats north-central South America and lives mostly in the Amazon River and the Pantanal, which is the tropical wetlands in Brazil. There are reportedly less than five thousand left in their natural homes because of poachers and other predators. As of 2010, there have been only forty-eight Giant Otters in captivity across the world.
The Giant Otter is a phenomenal species of animal. Males and females can be up to five feet, nine inches long. Their weights differ between the two with the males weighing significantly more than the female. Although the Giant Otters are so long in length they don’t actually weigh a lot. Males can weigh up to around one hundred pounds, while the females only weigh up to around sixty pounds.
When it comes to their diet, they consume up to ten percent of their body weight daily, which measures around seven pounds. In the wild, they feed on whatever is available in the rivers, like fish and other seafood. They are known to eat catfish, cichlids, and piranha. If those certain types of fish aren’t available they will munch on crabs and snakes.
The professionals in zoos and rescues are trying their hardest to get these creatures to reproduce in captivity to keep them safe. However, they require a massive amount of privacy in order to raise their young. If they are not provided privacy, the parents may neglect or even kill their young. So all necessary measures are taken to ensure that these endangered animals do not become further endangered and live on to be one of the most beautiful sea animals in the world.
Reference: Illustrated Encyclopedia of endangered animals.
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