Tag "Apex predator"
How Marine Protected Areas are Safeguarding Our Ocean’s Vulnerable Top Predators
The Food and Agriculture Organization conservatively estimates the value of shark fin imports in 2011 was USD 438.6 million and that of shark meat imports was USD 379.8 million [2].
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are protecting many shark populations around the world along with the ecosystems in which they play such important roles.
Sharks are often found in higher abundances and among more species around pelagic biodiversity hotspots such as seamounts and in the waters surrounding remote islands [9].
For example, hammerhead sharks tagged in the Galápagos Islands preferred these types of remote hotspots and often migrated among the hotspots, but rarely remained outside of the hotspots; similar patterns were observed in other pelagic species [10].
However, despite the evident successes of MPAs in safeguarding sharks [12], there is room for improvement in the design, governance [13] and enforcement [14] of MPAs to better protect sharks.
[6] Bonfil, R. (1999) Marine protected areas as a shark fisheries management tool.
(2002) The role of protected areas in elasmobranch fisheries management and conservation.
[8] Barker, MJ and Schluessel, V. (2005) Managing global shark fisheries: suggestions for prioritising management strategies.
[12] White et al. (2017) Asessing the effectiveness of a large marine protected area for reef shark conservation.
[14] White et al. (2017) Asessing the effectiveness of a large marine protected area for reef shark conservation.
Living With Grizzlies
Defenders is helping communities become bear aware by promoting coexistence as grizzly bear populations disperse in the Northern Rockies.
Defenders has a long and successful history of field conservation work through our on-the-ground coexistence efforts, preventing bear-human conflicts, and promoting social tolerance for bears on the landscape.
As grizzly populations slowly expand, people are encountering them in areas for the first time in decades.
Many of these areas are vital connectivity corridors that are critical to the long-term success of grizzly recovery and connectivity in the Lower 48 states.
Reaching out to local communities in these areas to prevent conflicts with grizzlies is a key component to a future where bears continue to expand into new territories and ultimately reconnect what are now isolated populations.
This step-by-step instructional video details how to build a simple electric fence to secure well-known bear attractants and has had over 1,700 hits since it launched last year.
Our electric fence program is just one example of our multi-faceted grizzly bear program.
However, there is still a great deal of work to be done, especially in areas with small grizzly bear populations like the Selkirk and Cabinet-Yaak areas, and areas with very few or no bears remaining like the North Cascades and Bitterroot.
Along with our coexistence work, Defenders continues to advocate for sound and lasting management strategies that ensure long-term recovery and success by holding the state wildlife management agencies accountable if ESA protections are removed.
We remain committed to helping create a healthy and prosperous future for grizzly bears in the Northern Rockies and North Cascades and ensuring that communities can live in harmony alongside them.
Dingo rules – both kangaroos and nutrient supplies.
Author: Dave Armstrong / Source: earthtimes.org The Outback is not the first place you expect some great research, but the discovery that
