Monthly Archives

December 2004

UN Proposed Fishing Limits Welcomed

By Sea Turtles

Forest Knolls, California—New proposed guidelines issued today by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have repeated the recommendation of an earlier panel of experts that immediate attention be given to the plight of critically endangered Pacific leatherback and loggerhead sea turtles. Specifically, the report recommended that fisheries posing the greatest threats should be subjected to “temporary and spatially-limited controls.” Environmentalists are welcoming the recommendation to limit fishing in certain areas, and are urging the UN to specifically identify and take action on some of the hot spots of turtle-fishing interaction

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County of Marin in Violation of CEQA

By Uncategorized

Ruling by California Court of Appeals Requires CEQA Review for New House in Sensitive Creekside Habitat. San Francisco, CA– In a unanimous decision, the California Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling by Marin Superior Court that the County of Marin was in violation of CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) when they approved the development of a new house in “sensitive creekside habitat” without first completing the proper environmental review.

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REVISED: Fishing Gear a Death Trap for Sea Turtles

By Sea Turtles

(Forest Knolls, CA)-—New fishery observer data has shown that every endangered olive ridley sea turtle caught by the Hawaiian longline tuna fleet was killed. Additionally, because the fishery has exceeded its annual legal allowable catch and kill limits of threatened olive ridley sea turtles, environmentalists are urging the closure of the fishery and a more comprehensive solution to protect marine life which includes a United Nations Pacific-wide moratorium on industrial longline fishing.

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Morton’s Seafood Restaurant Chain Drops Swordfish From Menu

By Got Mercury?

San Francisco, CA – In another victory for public health, Morton’s Steakhouse of New York has removed swordfish from its menu. Morton’s move marks the second major American restaurant chain to remove swordfish from its menu in just over a year. In the Fall of 2003, Red Lobster removed swordfish from its menu as a result of a national campaign calling for its removal due to high levels of mercury.

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Worldwide TV Premiere of New Sea Turtle Documentary

By Sea Turtles

Forest Knolls, CA — The nonprofit Sea Turtle Restoration Project has released the new documentary, Last Journey for the Leatherback? by the Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker Stan Minasian (dir. The Last Days of the Dolphins?, The Free Willy Story: Keiko’s Journey Home). Last Journey for the Leatherback? will make its worldwide television premiere to 24 million U.S. homes on Link TV (DIRECTV channel 375 and Dish Network channel 9410) on Friday, December 10, 2004 at 20.00 (EST). The film will also air three more times on Saturday, December 11.

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