http://www.divesouthafrica.co.za/news/environmental.php News and articles relating to environmental issues in South Africa and abroad. en-us http://www.divesouthafrica.co.za/imgs/pics-greatwhitecagediving-sm.jpg http://www.divesouthafrica.co.za/news/environmental.php 80 80 News and articles relating to environmental issues in South Africa and abroad. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/why-do-you-love-south-africa.html I know this is not scuba related but since I live in South Africa, I thought I might share this with the world. Why are South Africans so patriotic? What makes them so passionate about their country? Why do the hairs on the back of their neck stand up? http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/why-do-you-love-south-africa.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/south-africa-poachers-beat-legal.html The perlemoen and Patagonian toothfish poached in South African waters and sold illegally in Asian markets are worth more than the country's entire legal fishing industry. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/south-africa-poachers-beat-legal.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/great-barrier-reef-climate-change.html The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) says the threat climate change poses to the Great Barrier Reef cannot be overstated. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/great-barrier-reef-climate-change.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/shark-attacks-fall-as-humans-fight.html Shark attacks dropped in 2005 because people are fighting back more often when threatened and the ranks of ocean predators are thinning, a University of Florida report said on Monday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/shark-attacks-fall-as-humans-fight.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/hundreds-of-endangered-coral-reef-fish.html Hundreds of humphead wrasse were released back into the waters of the Bunaken National Marine Park after being confiscated from a fisherman who was intending to illegally sell the internationally-protected fish species abroad. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/hundreds-of-endangered-coral-reef-fish.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/australia-reef-shade-structures-almost.html Shadecloth structures protecting parts of the Great Barrier Reef could be commercially available to tourist operators within a year. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/australia-reef-shade-structures-almost.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/mediterranean-sensitive-deep-sea-coral.html Three ecologically-important deep sea areas have been protected off the waters of Italy, Cyprus and Egypt, following a recent decision by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM). http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/mediterranean-sensitive-deep-sea-coral.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/south-africa-overstrand-anti-poaching.html The days are numbered for the highly successful Marines anti-poaching unit in the Overstrand - but no one is saying what will take its place. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/south-africa-overstrand-anti-poaching.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/gulf-of-mexico-reefs-damaged-by.html Hurricane Rita's pounding waves and a hotter-than-usual Gulf of Mexico took a toll on the Gulf of Mexico's only government-protected coral reefs about 100 miles off the Louisiana and Texas coasts. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/gulf-of-mexico-reefs-damaged-by.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/australia-northern-reefs-next-in-line.html Scientists say north Queensland reefs are next in line to be hit by coral bleaching. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/australia-northern-reefs-next-in-line.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/australian-oil-spill-tragedy-for.html A oil spill in the Australian state of Queensland is being described as a tragedy for the area's marine life. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/australian-oil-spill-tragedy-for.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/south-africa-anti-whalers-do-it-for.html The SA Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) is demanding erroneous paperwork from an anti-whaling ship detained in Cape Town harbour, its captain said on Saturday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/south-africa-anti-whalers-do-it-for.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/artifical-reef-project-gets-underway.html Phuket's Bangtao Bay, has commenced the seeding of the bay area with concrete structures to promote the development of an artifical reef. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/02/artifical-reef-project-gets-underway.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/01/south-africa-anti-whaling-ship.html The anti-whaling ship Farley Mowat, which has spent six weeks harassing Japanese whalers in the Antarctic, has been detained in Cape Town harbour by South African authorities. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/01/south-africa-anti-whaling-ship.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/01/sea-level-rise-is-accelerating.html Global sea levels could rise by about 30cm during this century if current trends continue, a study warns. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/01/sea-level-rise-is-accelerating.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/01/coral-reefs-cheaper-to-save-than.html Costs of safeguarding the world's fast-disappearing coral reefs and mangroves are small compared to the benefits they provide from tourism to fisheries, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said on Tuesday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/01/coral-reefs-cheaper-to-save-than.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/01/project-digital-skins-sensors-watch.html With the fragile ecology of coral reefs around the globe increasingly under pressure, scientists on Australia's Great Barrier Reef are establishing a network of sensors to better understand this beautiful part of the underwater world. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/01/project-digital-skins-sensors-watch.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/01/australia-lack-of-coordinated-shark.html A LACK of co-ordinated studies may be putting swimmers at risk, according to a leading shark expert. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/01/australia-lack-of-coordinated-shark.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/01/aussie-tragedy-sparks-calls-for-shark.html North Stradbroke Island tourism operators have called for a shark-proof swimming enclosure to be built off Amity Point where a young woman was fatally mauled by up to three bull sharks at the weekend. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/01/aussie-tragedy-sparks-calls-for-shark.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/01/new-guinea-sponges-and-more-may-help.html The Fogarty International Center (FIC), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announced two new awards to support the search for new pharmaceutical compounds and agricultural agents from organisms found in coral reefs, forests, and extreme environments, the cataloging of these diverse organisms, and the training of scientists in the United States and developing countries... http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/01/new-guinea-sponges-and-more-may-help.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/01/australia-conservation-council.html One of New South Wales' peak environment groups says shark nets along the coast harm other species and provide little protection for swimmers. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/01/australia-conservation-council.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/01/deep-sea-disaster-causes-shark-influx.html Aquatic life experts fear an unidentified deep-sea disaster for massive influx of sharks in the Bangladeshi coastlines as deaths of whale sharks and dolphin in the hand of local fishermen, local daily The New Nation reported Friday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/01/deep-sea-disaster-causes-shark-influx.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/01/new-website-explores-oceans-of-world.html The World Ocean Observatory, dedicated to public education about the world's oceans, announced the establishment of its Web site - http://www.thew2o.net - an online place of exchange for ocean information and educational services... http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2006/01/new-website-explores-oceans-of-world.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/12/air-jaws-photographers-make-desperate.html To all involved in the battle against shark finning. Please read on... http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/12/air-jaws-photographers-make-desperate.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/12/coco-and-christmas-island-reefs-in.html An eight-year research project has found coral reef around the Christmas and Cocos Islands is in much better shape than first thought. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/12/coco-and-christmas-island-reefs-in.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/12/virgin-islands-sponges-may-assist-in.html The coral reefs of the Caribbean are showing potential as the next great frontier for drug researchers seeking to cure cancer, malaria and other deadly diseases. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/12/virgin-islands-sponges-may-assist-in.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/12/australia-researchers-record-nearly.html Scientists have begun analysing the results of a land and sea survey of the annual migration of the humpback whale along the east coast of Australia. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/12/australia-researchers-record-nearly.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/12/south-africa-shark-spotters-thrown.html Two years ago Patrick Davids spent his days spotting empty parking bays for visitors to Muizenberg beach in return for tips. Today he has the task of spotting sharks swimming too close to the shore and, thanks to R400 000 from the city council, will also be responsible for training 15 new shark spotters to be deployed at False Bay beaches over the next 10 months. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/12/south-africa-shark-spotters-thrown.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/12/great-barrier-reef-passes-health-check.html The Great Barrier Reef has been given a pass mark after its biennial health check by the Australian Institute of Marine Science. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/12/great-barrier-reef-passes-health-check.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/12/tahiti-coral-drilling-program-yields.html Forty-two days of drilling in three different parts of Tahiti's coral reef ended this week with scientists from nine nations "all excited and confident that the scientific objectives of the mission have been met," one of them wrote in a logbook. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/12/tahiti-coral-drilling-program-yields.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/malaysia-200-reef-balls-planted-to.html About 200 reef balls weighing a total of 540 tonnes were planted at the Mid Reef area off Manukan Island, near here, to restore coral reefs wrecked by the Greg Storm about eight years ago, Thursday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/malaysia-200-reef-balls-planted-to.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/university-of-oregon-scientists-reveal.html University of Oregon scientists report their discovery of the basis for the blue coloration found in many coral reef formations in an article published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences... http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/university-of-oregon-scientists-reveal.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/thailand-oil-spill-threatens-coastal.html Crude oil slicks from the oil spill on Sunday near the main beach resort of Pattaya have threatened coral reefs and tourism, and suggested that Thai Oil Plc was too early and too optimistic in announcing the spill was contained, official Thai News Agency reported. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/thailand-oil-spill-threatens-coastal.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/sharks-finned-on-tofo-beach-mozambique.html Shark finning is becoming an increasingly common phenomenon for the locals along the Mozambique coast. Asians have set up camp in many of the coastal towns and offer around R800 for 1Kg of dried shark fin. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/sharks-finned-on-tofo-beach-mozambique.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/coral-reefs-may-be-adjusting-to.html A coral bleaching expert says there are signs that some coral reefs are adapting to climate change. Many coral clusters in Queensland's Great Barrier Reef have struggled to survive in the rising sea temperatures of the past decade. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/coral-reefs-may-be-adjusting-to.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/mexicos-cozumel-awaits-tourists-after.html At first glance, Mexico's Cozumel island - a Caribbean jewel ringed with coral reefs - looks like the site of a nuclear explosion. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/mexicos-cozumel-awaits-tourists-after.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/irish-furious-over-use-of-live-dogs-as.html AN Irish MEP has called on the EU to investigate claims that live cats and dogs are being used as shark bait, writes Treacy Hogan. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/irish-furious-over-use-of-live-dogs-as.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/australia-by-2050-95-of-great-barrier.html Australia's Great Barrier Reef could lose 95 percent of its living coral by 2050 should ocean temperatures increase by the 1.5 degrees Celsius projected by climate scientists. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/australia-by-2050-95-of-great-barrier.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/95-of-philippines-reefs-ruined-says.html Philippine coral reefs, renowned for being home to amazing marine resources, are in terrible condition, according to the world's biggest reef conservation organization. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/95-of-philippines-reefs-ruined-says.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/uk-coasts-and-sea-life-threatened.html Coasts and marine life around Britain are under pressure from pollution, coastal erosion, overfishing and climate change, experts have warned. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/uk-coasts-and-sea-life-threatened.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/new-zealand-law-with-teeth-saves-great.html Great white sharks should be off limits to big game fishermen and trophy hunters within the next six months. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/new-zealand-law-with-teeth-saves-great.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/cozumel-tourist-board-provides-update.html Cozumel tourism officials report rapid progress in the post-hurricane Wilma clean up and restoration effort on the island. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/cozumel-tourist-board-provides-update.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/bahamas-rocked-by-tsunami-from.html When Hurricane Wilma ripped through Florida two weeks ago, the devastation didn't stop once the storm left the U.S. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/bahamas-rocked-by-tsunami-from.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/health-of-acehnese-reefs-in-wake-of.html According to research reported this week in Current Biology, tsunami damage to coral reefs closest to the epicenter of the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake was occasionally spectacular, but surprisingly limited, particularly when compared to damage from chronic human misuse in the region. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/health-of-acehnese-reefs-in-wake-of.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/mexico-coral-reef-set-back-100-years.html A fragile coral reef off the coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula could take more than a century to recover from a thrashing by Hurricane Wilma last month, the government said on Friday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/mexico-coral-reef-set-back-100-years.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/greenpeace-apologises-for-reef-damage.html Greenpeace has apologised to the Philippines and "mother nature" for the damage caused by its flagship Rainbow Warrior II to a coral reef. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/greenpeace-apologises-for-reef-damage.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/sharktrust-plundering-of-worlds-oceans.html Most of us like eating fish, but nobody wants to cuddle them. The consequence is that, while otters, seals, elephants, rhinos and even foxes have powerful political constituencies to fight for them, mankind is doing disastrous things at sea without anybody seeming to care much. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/sharktrust-plundering-of-worlds-oceans.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/caribbean-coral-reefs-under-pressure.html A bleaching phenomenon caused by unusually warm waters is whitening coral reefs throughout the Caribbean, raising fears of a large-scale die-off of the vital organisms, scientists said on Wednesday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/caribbean-coral-reefs-under-pressure.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/greenpeace-faces-fine-for-reef-damage.html Marine park rangers in the Philippines say Greenpeace is to be fined after its flagship Rainbow Warrior II damaged a coral reef during a climate change awareness campaign. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/greenpeace-faces-fine-for-reef-damage.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/china-destroying-reefs-to-house-worlds.html China began blowing up reefs at the Three Gorges reservoir areas in southwest China to ensure safety of future navigation in the river course. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/china-destroying-reefs-to-house-worlds.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/egypt-french-project-to-save-reef-did.html Last year, French diver Alain Deguine came to the Red Sea on a self-professed mission to "protect the coral reef." While he came with good intentions, marine biologists allege his methods proved harmful to both the coral reef and the people involved. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/egypt-french-project-to-save-reef-did.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/noaas-new-coral-reef-watch-satellite.html A major coral bleaching event is underway in the Caribbean, and may result in significant coral death in much of the region, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists confirmed today. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/noaas-new-coral-reef-watch-satellite.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/australia-investigation-called-after.html The Australian Greens party has called for the Federal Government to investigate whether a Navy operation triggered the mass stranding of 130 pilot whales off Tasmania. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/australia-investigation-called-after.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/australia-illegal-shark-hunters-use.html A new Indonesian fleet of more than 400 speedboats is taking thousands of sharks from northern Australian waters, and is behind a recent upsurge in illegal fishing. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/australia-illegal-shark-hunters-use.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/australia-630-sharks-caught-in-nets.html A monster 5.2 metre tiger shark and seven others over four metres long were among 630 sharks trapped in Queensland nets and caught on drum lines last financial year. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/australia-630-sharks-caught-in-nets.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/south-africa-massive-spill-of-fuel-oil.html A massive clean-up operation is under way in the Durban harbour after a damaged ship spilled about 80 tonnes of fuel oil at a repair dock. The National Ports Authority (NPA) has allayed fears of a threat of environmental pollution. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/11/south-africa-massive-spill-of-fuel-oil.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/10/florida-keys-to-reopen-to-visitors-on.html The Florida Keys are slated to reopen to visitors Friday, after tourists were evacuated more than a week ago due to Hurricane Wilma. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/10/florida-keys-to-reopen-to-visitors-on.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/10/south-africa-salmon-farm-threatens.html In a twist of fate a new threat to the unique marine ecosystem of Dyer Island and Gansbaai has been approved by Marine and Coastal Management authorities. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/10/south-africa-salmon-farm-threatens.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/10/australias-marine-park-initiative.html The Federal Government has received both praise and a caution today for its role in managing the Great Barrier Reef. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/10/australias-marine-park-initiative.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/10/green-group-warns-of-threat-to-coral.html Up to half of the world's coral reefs may disappear by 2045 unless urgent measures are taken to protect them against environmental hazards, particularly climate change, the World Conservation Union said. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/10/green-group-warns-of-threat-to-coral.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/10/australia-wins-award-for-barrier-reef.html Australia, a frequent target of criticism from environmentalists for refusing to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on global warming, received the World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) top accolade on Monday for its efforts to protect the Great Barrier Reef. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/10/australia-wins-award-for-barrier-reef.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/10/marine-conservation-organizations.html Three leading marine conservation organizations will complete an extensive survey next week along the west coast of Aceh Province, Indonesia, to determine the impact of last year's devastating earthquake and tsunami on the region's coral reefs... http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/10/marine-conservation-organizations.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/09/south-africa-starts-waking-up-to.html Tempting as it may be to attribute the ravages of Hurricane Katrina to President George Bush's reneging on his early election promise to support the Kyoto Protocol, it is neither scientifically justifiable nor fair. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/09/south-africa-starts-waking-up-to.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/09/south-africa-western-cape-water-crisis.html The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has warned that South Africa will become one of the two driest places on Earth as climate change tightens its grip globally. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/09/south-africa-western-cape-water-crisis.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/09/rising-ocean-temperatures-trigger-gas.html RISING ocean temperatures caused by global warming could initiate a catastrophic runaway greenhouse effect by releasing gases trapped beneath the ocean floor, experts have warned. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/09/rising-ocean-temperatures-trigger-gas.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/09/underwater-bomb-tests-off-australian.html Western Australia's Environment Minister has expressed concerns that a series of test explosions near popular dive sites off Exmouth will not meet with environmental guidelines. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/09/underwater-bomb-tests-off-australian.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/climate-change-to-cause-chaos-in-uk.html Climate change will wreak havoc on the United Kingdom's marine environment, deepening the decline of cod, threatening the future survival of some sea bird colonies, and causing wide-scale coastal disruption, a new WWF report has found. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/climate-change-to-cause-chaos-in-uk.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/antarctica-widening-ozone-hole-is-as.html The seasonal ozone hole over Antarctica has widened sharply this year, making it the biggest hole since 2000 and the third largest on record, according to measurements reported here on Tuesday by the European Space Agency (ESA). http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/antarctica-widening-ozone-hole-is-as.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/south-africa-has-been-growing-warmer.html South Africa has been getting warmer over the past 44 years and the season that has been getting the warmest is autumn. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/south-africa-has-been-growing-warmer.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/south-africa-climate-changes-has.html Decisions to stop the impact of climate change - the effect of Greenhouse Gas emissions - will not only help the environment, but add to the growth of the South African economy, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, the minister of environmental affairs and tourism said. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/south-africa-climate-changes-has.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/south-africa-abalone-vehicle-and.html The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism has on Friday 26 August 2005 confiscated abalone, a vehicle, two trailers and equipment worth an estimated R3.3 million in Somerset West near Cape Town. Three men were arrested and are expected to appear in court. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/south-africa-abalone-vehicle-and.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/south-africa-extreme-weather-pounds.html That would have been an apt description of the waves that battered the Eastern Cape coast on Saturday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/south-africa-extreme-weather-pounds.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/iceland-minke-whale-hunt-over.html The last minke whale, in a 2005 quota of 39 whales, was caught on Wednesday. Gunnar Bergmann, spokesperson for the Whale Hunters Association says that the hunting went well this summer. They plan to hunt 100 whales next summer. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/iceland-minke-whale-hunt-over.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/african-fish-industry-in-crisis.html Africa's fisheries industry is facing a crisis, experts have claimed, with over-fishing and a lack of investment threatening its long-term future. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/african-fish-industry-in-crisis.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/melting-arctic-poses-threat.html The rate of ice melting in the Arctic is increasing and a panel of researchers says it sees no natural process that is likely to change that trend. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/melting-arctic-poses-threat.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/antarctic-ozone-hole-has-grown-since.html The winter hole in the ozone layer above Antarctica appears to have grown from last year but is still smaller than in 2003, when it was at its largest, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said on Tuesday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/antarctic-ozone-hole-has-grown-since.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/kwazulu-natal-wildlife-accused-of.html Breathing new life into a "dying", drought ravaged lake system, sea water briefly flowed into St Lucia again this week after the estuary mouth breached for the first time in three years. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/kwazulu-natal-wildlife-accused-of.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/illegal-destruction-of-coral-reefs.html The illegal mining of corals off the southwest coast of Sri Lanka permitted far more onshore destruction from the 26 December 2004 tsunami than occurred in nearby areas whose coral reefs were intact. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/illegal-destruction-of-coral-reefs.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/new-measures-proposed-to-prevent.html This proposed rule would implement management measures to prevent overfishing of the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean (ETP) tuna stocks, consistent with recommendations by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC). http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/new-measures-proposed-to-prevent.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/icy-wonder-of-world-is-melting-away.html The Ilulissat glacier in Greenland, a United Nations heritage site considered one of the wonders of the world, has shrunk by over 10 kilometres in just a few years, in one of the most alarming examples of global warming in the Arctic region. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/icy-wonder-of-world-is-melting-away.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/volunteers-rally-to-clean-oiled.html Teams of volunteers will be washing oiled penguins over the next few days, following a mystery spill off the southern Cape coast that has so far affected almost 300 birds. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/volunteers-rally-to-clean-oiled.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/south-african-environmental-minister.html Marthinus van Schalkwyk, Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, has yesterday and today been visiting the Ilulissat Ice Fiord World Heritage Site and the Greenland icecap to observe the evident decline in the extent of sea ice in the North Pole. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/south-african-environmental-minister.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/millions-on-line-in-fish-quotas-fight.html Some investors are risking up to R32 million in efforts to secure a share of South Africa's new long-term fishing quotas, conservatively worth R70 billion over the next 15 years. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/millions-on-line-in-fish-quotas-fight.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/south-african-polluters-can-no-longer.html South African companies -- especially heavy polluters -- have had it fairly easy because of poor enforcement of South Africa's environmental laws. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/south-african-polluters-can-no-longer.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/web-trade-threat-to-rare-species.html The illegal trade in wild animal products over the internet is driving the world's most endangered species to extinction, wildlife campaigners claim. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/web-trade-threat-to-rare-species.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/eco-warriors-join-fight-to-save-south.html An international environmental foundation has now joined the campaign to Save the Wild Coast. Members of Euronatur, based in Ludwigsburg, Germany, flew to the Eastern Cape on Friday to assess the proposed N2 toll road through the Transkei. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/eco-warriors-join-fight-to-save-south.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/tsunami-alert-system-useless-without.html A tsunami warning system will be fully operational in the Indian Ocean by July 2006, but it will be of little use unless nations in the region are ready to respond to its warnings, said participants at a conference in Perth, Australia, last Friday (5 August). http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/tsunami-alert-system-useless-without.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/key-claims-against-global-warming-melt.html Three new research papers debunk earlier research that showed the planet was not warming up. In 1990, study of data collected by the University of Alabama satellite found that the atmosphere's low-level troposphere was not warming in line with computer modelling predictions. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/key-claims-against-global-warming-melt.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/millions-of-dead-fish-washing-up-on.html Miles and miles of dead fish are turning up in Texas waters and it's hitting Matagorda especially hard. From the sky, a sea of white is covering the mouth of the Colorado River. Upon closer look, you'll see dead fish - millions of them. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/millions-of-dead-fish-washing-up-on.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/italy-continues-illegal-use-of.html Fishermen are continuing to use large scale driftnets in the Mediterranean, despite the European Union ban on the use of such nets. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/italy-continues-illegal-use-of.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/canadas-role-in-solving-global.html Last week some of our colleagues in the environmental movement brought much needed attention to the problem of overfishing by calling for a moratorium on high seas bottom-trawling. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/canadas-role-in-solving-global.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/derelict-fishing-gear-poses-global.html Russian submariners aren't the only marine life to experience the perils of lost or abandoned fishing gear. Millions of derelict nets, hooks, fishing lines, lobster traps and crab pots litter the world's oceans. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/derelict-fishing-gear-poses-global.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/green-light-for-tsunami-sensors.html Indian Ocean countries meeting in Australia have decided to set up a network of seabed sensors and buoys as part of a tsunami warning system. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/green-light-for-tsunami-sensors.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/researchers-find-recovering-coral-reef.html A team of renowned researchers is making a rare and valuable find off the coast of Antigua: a "recovering" coral reef. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/researchers-find-recovering-coral-reef.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/perlemoen-abalone-dumped-as-gang-flees.html Three women and a man dropped full bags of fresh perlemoen and fled when Johannesburg metro police spotted them with the contraband on Sunday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/perlemoen-abalone-dumped-as-gang-flees.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/is-global-warming-making-hurricanes.html Hurricanes bring winds and slashing rains that flood streets, flatten homes, and leave survivors struggling to pick up the pieces. But has global warming given the storms an added punch, making the aftereffects more dreadful? http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/is-global-warming-making-hurricanes.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/hurricane-ivan-caused-tallest-wave.html Hurricane Ivan generated a wave more than 90 foot (27 metres) high - thought to be the tallest and most intense ever measured - scientists have revealed. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/hurricane-ivan-caused-tallest-wave.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/worlds-biggest-wave-and-nine-other.html Our planet boasts some conditions almost beyond the human imagination. But now modern scientific techniques are starting to tell a story of just how threatening nature can be. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/worlds-biggest-wave-and-nine-other.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/tsunami-alert-missing-vital-details.html If another big tsunami rolls across the Indian Ocean today, it would probably be detected and threatened nations alerted, the head of the UN body developing such a warning system says. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/tsunami-alert-missing-vital-details.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/marine-and-coastal-management.html Marine and Coastal Management (MCM) will investigate why a South African Airways aircraft failed to notify them about dumping tons of aviation fuel along the coastline after it had experienced problems with its landing gear at the weekend. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/marine-and-coastal-management.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/ice-collapse-global-warming-link.html The collapse of a huge ice shelf in Antarctica in 2002 has no precedent in the past 11,000 years, according to a study to be published today that points the finger at global warming. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/ice-collapse-global-warming-link.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/cruelty-and-plunder-in-south-africa.html Cars, cash and even women are among bribes that have been offered to official government observers aboard foreign vessels fishing in South African waters, to persuade them to turn a blind eye to fish plundering and other illegal activities. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/cruelty-and-plunder-in-south-africa.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/arctic-ocean-depths-teeming-with-life.html The remotest depths of the Arctic ocean are surprisingly full of life, including previously unknown species of jellyfish and worms, a scientific team which just finished exploring the area said on Friday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/arctic-ocean-depths-teeming-with-life.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/city-experts-team-up-to-fight-global.html EDINBURGH scientists will become world leaders in the fight against global warming by examining ways to lock harmful emissions under the sea. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/city-experts-team-up-to-fight-global.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/albatross-race-ends-in-tragedy.html An annual race of endangered albatrosses from Australia to South Africa has ended in tragedy with all 18 competitors dying along the 10 000-kilometre route, organisers said on Monday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/albatross-race-ends-in-tragedy.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/giant-sperm-whale-saved-from-deaths.html Fishermen rescued a seven-metre sperm whale off the central Philippine island of Bohol after finding the giant mammal drifting with several bullet wounds, a press report said on Monday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/giant-sperm-whale-saved-from-deaths.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/shark-fin-stays-on-official-menus.html The Hong Kong government has refused requests from environmentalists to follow Disneyland's example by taking shark's fin soup off the official banquet menu for visiting dignitaries. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/shark-fin-stays-on-official-menus.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/global-warming-makes-hurricanes.html Hurricanes have become more destructive over the past 30 years and global warming could increase their intensity in the future, an expert warned on Sunday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/08/global-warming-makes-hurricanes.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/whale-collisions-spur-call-for-speed.html Alarmed by the deaths of eight North Atlantic right whales in the past 16 months, some scientists are calling for immediate protections. Listed as endangered by the U.S. government, the whales are now believed to total about 300. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/whale-collisions-spur-call-for-speed.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/unesco-adds-new-marine-heritage-sites.html The World Heritage Committee chaired by Themba Wakashe, South Africa's Deputy Director-General for Heritage and National Archives, inscribed seven natural sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/unesco-adds-new-marine-heritage-sites.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/cousteau-japan-lying-about-whaling.html Oceanographer Jean-Michel Cousteau, son of the late diving pioneer Jacques Cousteau, has accused Japan of lying, using scientific whaling as a cover for commercial takes of the marine mammals. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/cousteau-japan-lying-about-whaling.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/clinton-warns-of-global-warming.html Former President Clinton sounded a warning Tuesday against the dangers of climate change as he met with young South Africans and had lunch with anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/clinton-warns-of-global-warming.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/world-aquarium-scientists-accelerate.html St. Louis sits hundreds of miles from the nearest natural coral, and it's on the other side of the world from the most famous coral reef. Yet the key to saving this crucial oceanic organism just might have sprung from the muddy banks of the Mississippi. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/world-aquarium-scientists-accelerate.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/greenpeace-in-court-bid-to-protect.html Environment pressure group Greenpeace is today launching a legal challenge in a bid to save dolphins from being drowned in large fishing nets. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/greenpeace-in-court-bid-to-protect.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/is-shark-finning-loophole-closed-iucn.html The IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) on July 12, 2005 made a public clarification regarding shark finning. The clarification is related to the IUCN official recommendation against shark finning passed in November 2004. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/is-shark-finning-loophole-closed-iucn.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/microchip-saves-rare-turtle.html They're calling him "the lucky royal turtle" a rare and endangered reptile that was saved from a likely fate in a Chinese soup pot by keen-eyed wildlife officers and a tiny microchip. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/microchip-saves-rare-turtle.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/deep-sea-fishing-trawler-seized-for.html The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) today seized the deep-sea trawler "Sandile", its gear, equipment, stores and cargo including the fish on board. The seizure was undertaken by Fisheries Compliance Officers of DEAT. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/deep-sea-fishing-trawler-seized-for.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/twelve-dead-dolphins-found-on-black.html Twelve dead dolphins have been found along Romania's Black Sea coast, authorities said on Tuesday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/twelve-dead-dolphins-found-on-black.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/shock-at-slap-on-wrist-for-korean.html Environmental NGOs WWF and BirdLife South Africa are outraged at the news that a Korean fishing boat skipper who broke "almost every rule in the book" was fined R50 000 and handed a suspended sentence in the Eastern Cape last week. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/shock-at-slap-on-wrist-for-korean.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/solomon-islands-denies-japan-bought.html The Solomon Islands Government has denied allegations that Japan poured money into the country for support on whaling and cheap access to tuna. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/solomon-islands-denies-japan-bought.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/is-south-africa-experiencing-hotter.html Yes, you're right - this winter has been the warmest in decades and the Weather Service has the figures to prove it. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/is-south-africa-experiencing-hotter.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/st-lucia-wetland-park-is-fantastic.html Wrapping up a busy 29th session of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) World Heritage Committee meeting in Durban, members headed north to the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park on Monday for a two-day field trip around South Africa's first World Heritage Site. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/st-lucia-wetland-park-is-fantastic.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/wwf-launches-wildfinder-worlds-most.html The worlds only searchable database for all four groups of land vertebrates launches today on WWFs web site, worldwildlife.org. Wildfinder is the only online, map-driven tool to cover the entire globe. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/wwf-launches-wildfinder-worlds-most.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/world-heritage-sites-two-more-south.html Taung's Skull and the Mokapane Valley added to the Cradle of Human Kind World Heritage Sites. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/world-heritage-sites-two-more-south.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/africa-world-heritage-sites-named.html Two natural wonders of Africa have been added to a list of protected World Heritage sites by the United Nations. The world's largest and oldest meteorite crater, the Vredefort Dome, in South Africa was added for its scenic and scientific interest. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/africa-world-heritage-sites-named.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/south-africa-awarded-seventh-world.html More than two billion years after it slammed into the middle of South Africa, a gigantic lump of rock was officially welcomed to the Earth on Thursday with champagne and a raucous cacophony of vuvuzela blasts. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/south-africa-awarded-seventh-world.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/sea-birds-spread-pollution-in-arctic.html Sea birds can spread pollutants such as mercury and pesticides across the Arctic in their droppings, Canadian researchers report. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/sea-birds-spread-pollution-in-arctic.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/tagged-whale-sharks-surprise.html Australian scientists tracking massive whale sharks said on Wednesday that they are demon swimmers just like other shark species. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/tagged-whale-sharks-surprise.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/fingerprints-point-to-human-cause-of.html Researchers claim to have found the first strong evidence that human activities are responsible for warming the world's oceans over the past 50 years. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/fingerprints-point-to-human-cause-of.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/tsunami-earthquake-displaced-china.html The 26 December quake that originated off Sumatra ripped a gash of at least 1000 kilometres in the Indian Ocean's floor and displaced the Earth's crust as far as southern China, a study says. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/tsunami-earthquake-displaced-china.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/data-reveal-sea-levels-have-risen-more.html Melting ice and warming waters have raised average sea levels worldwide by more than an inch since 1995, new data from space satellites and robotic submarines have revealed. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/data-reveal-sea-levels-have-risen-more.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/iceland-prepared-to-work-with-japan-on.html Iceland has told fellow pro-whalers Japan that it may be possible for the two countries to work together on commercial whaling, reports have suggested. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/iceland-prepared-to-work-with-japan-on.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/sarah-baartman-to-keep-watch-over.html A R160 million offshore vessel called Sarah Baartman is expected to dramatically improve marine patrols along the coasts of South Africa, Mozambique and Tanzania. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/sarah-baartman-to-keep-watch-over.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/africa-to-establish-its-own-world.html In an effort to secure the future of some of the African continent's most precious landmarks, world conservation leaders have given overwhelming support for Africa to have its own World Heritage Fund. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/africa-to-establish-its-own-world.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/minister-welcomes-home-sarah-baartman.html "Fish species don't respect man-made fishing boundaries. Poachers and illegal fishers don't respect them either. For too long this has placed our enforcement authorities in Southern Africa at a major disadvantage." http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/minister-welcomes-home-sarah-baartman.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/blair-climate-change-talks-are-small.html Tony Blair has papered over the cracks in the G8 on climate change by announcing that a "new dialogue" will be launched between the world's richest countries and the emerging nations. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/blair-climate-change-talks-are-small.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/blind-sea-creature-hunts-with-light.html Many deep-sea creatures use blue or green luminescent light to defend themselves, but this relative of the jellyfish has twitching appendages that glow red - apparently to lure fish to their death. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/blind-sea-creature-hunts-with-light.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/stiff-new-law-to-protect-environment.html With effect from Friday, 8 July, companies violating environmental regulations face a fine of up to R5m or 10 years in prison, following the expiry of government's "window period" for offenders on Thursday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/stiff-new-law-to-protect-environment.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/western-cape-officials-seize-abelone.html Table Mountain National Park staff seized 279 perlemoen worth R65 000 from a commercial perlemoen operator who had violated his permit conditions. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/western-cape-officials-seize-abelone.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/most-important-move-on-environment.html The agreement at Gleneagles by China, India and other leading developing nations to start talking to the G8 countries about their greenhouse gas emissions is the most important step to counter climate change since the signing of the Kyoto protocol in December 1997. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/most-important-move-on-environment.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/g8-calls-for-new-climate-dialogue.html The G8 leaders have promised a "new dialogue" on climate change. Their communique, released at the end of the Gleneagles summit, states that global warming is a "serious long-term challenge" for the entire planet. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/g8-calls-for-new-climate-dialogue.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/polar-bears-vulnerable-to-warming.html The world's polar bear population is expected to decline by more than 30 percent within the next three to five decades because of global warming's effect on their icy habitat, according to a report by a World Conservation Union panel. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/polar-bears-vulnerable-to-warming.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/poisonous-algae-invade-swedish.html Carpets of poisonous blue-green algae have started invading the coasts of Sweden, a senior scientist said on Wednesday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/poisonous-algae-invade-swedish.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/climate-change-and-africa-to-top-g8.html The campaign against poverty in Africa and the fight against global warming will top the agenda of the Group of Eight (G8) summit in Scotland from Wednesday to Friday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/climate-change-and-africa-to-top-g8.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/fishermen-warned-to-report-whale-shark.html Fishermen must report whale shark catches and make sure that they do not exceed the annual catch quota for this year, with fines and jail terms for offenders, the Fisheries Administration under the Council of Agriculture (COA) said Monday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/fishermen-warned-to-report-whale-shark.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/shark-lovers-slam-plans-for-coastal.html The Natal Sharks Board plans to start development of an electronic beach barrier as an alternative to shark nets, and a prototype would be ready for use in about 12 months. The aim would be the removal of the nets as soon as possible. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/shark-lovers-slam-plans-for-coastal.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/innovative-shark-barriers-given-go.html Electronic barriers to keep sharks away from popular beaches are to be given the go-ahead in Australia and South Africa. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/innovative-shark-barriers-given-go.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/tagging-great-white-sharks-research-on.html The ghostly grey shape makes its first cautious approach towards the tuna-head bait bobbing in the water off Seal Island with an effortlessness and grace that defies description. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/tagging-great-white-sharks-research-on.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/icecaps-and-hurriances-proof-of.html Some, including influential figures on the American right, still deny the arrival of global warming. Mark Lynas has documented examples for his book 'High Tide'. Here is his compelling evidence. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/icecaps-and-hurriances-proof-of.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/western-cape-game-smugglers-bust-by.html A major Western Cape game smuggling racket involving the illegal capture and sale of over 1 000 protected wild animals worth over R1 million has been bust. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/western-cape-game-smugglers-bust-by.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/drugs-from-sea-may-help-medical.html International scientists have successfully cloned marine DNA in a breakthrough they say will provide promising "drugs from the sea" to treat cancer and viral diseases. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/drugs-from-sea-may-help-medical.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/another-shark-attack-in-florida.html The third shark attack in a week occured in Florida waters today as an Austrian tourist was bitten in chest-deep water near Boca Grande, on Florida's Gulf Coast. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/another-shark-attack-in-florida.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/seals-sing-soulful-songs.html An Australian researcher had found the males of two seal species in Antarctica woo potential mates by singing complex melodies. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/seals-sing-soulful-songs.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/african-heritage-sites-safe-from.html MINISTER of Arts and Culture, Dr Pallo Jordan, has assured that no African World Heritage Sites risk delisting when the World Heritage Committee convenes for its 29th session in Durban from July 10-17. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/african-heritage-sites-safe-from.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/emission-cuts-vital-for-oceans.html Marine species are under threat from rising levels of acidity in the oceans, says the UK's Royal Society. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/emission-cuts-vital-for-oceans.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/ocean-species-at-risk-from-global.html Thousands of marine species are at risk from global warming because of acidification of the world's oceans, scientists said. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/ocean-species-at-risk-from-global.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/australian-researchers-develop-new.html Australian scientists are developing a new method of determining the age of humpback whales which can avoid killing the mammals in previous methods. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/australian-researchers-develop-new.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/odyssey-marine-exploration-provides.html Odyssey Marine Exploration, a leader in the field of deep-water shipwreck exploration, provided an operational update on several shipwreck projects. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/odyssey-marine-exploration-provides.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/international-commission-bans-shark.html Late last week, the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) adopted an international ban on shark finning in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The lucrative market for "shark fin soup" is the driving force behind finning -- the practice of slicing off a shark's fin and dumping the rest of the body back into the ocean. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/07/international-commission-bans-shark.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/baby-dolphins-never-sleep.html Sleep-deprived mothers of newborn babies should spare a thought for bottlenose dolphins and killer whales. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/baby-dolphins-never-sleep.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/global-warming-kills-our-wildlife.html Global warming is the greatest threat to wildlife, according to Sir David King, chief scientific adviser to the British government. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/global-warming-kills-our-wildlife.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/global-warming-could-shift-sands-of.html One of the first studies to examine how climate change might alter the land surface of Africa has been published by scientists from Oxford University. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/global-warming-could-shift-sands-of.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/bull-sharks-blamed-for-attacks-in.html The past 10 days have seen three extraordinary incidents involving sharks in the waters of Florida. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/bull-sharks-blamed-for-attacks-in.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/florida-attacks-spotlights-real-but.html Two shark attacks in three days off the Florida Panhandle have left one teen dead and a second seriously injured. The tragedies spotlight the real, though rare, danger of shark attacks. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/florida-attacks-spotlights-real-but.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/three-new-world-heritage-sites-on.html Three new sites in South Africa may become United Nations world heritage sites. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/three-new-world-heritage-sites-on.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/tortoise-thieves-running-amok-on.html Thieves are taking advantage of lax security and the docile nature of giant Aldabra tortoises to purloin growing numbers of the protected reptiles from Zanzibar's Changu Island, a senior official said on Tuesday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/tortoise-thieves-running-amok-on.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/shark-attacks-in-perspective-article.html Say the word "shark" and the first image most people conjure up is a Jaws-inspired white shark devouring unsuspecting bathers while well-meaning authorities and scientists helplessly stand by. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/shark-attacks-in-perspective-article.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/shark-attack-scare-hits-united-states.html A shark mauled a 16-year-old boy fishing in knee-deep water off the Florida coast on Monday, causing panic just three days after a teenaged girl was killed in another attack. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/shark-attack-scare-hits-united-states.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/shark-kills-teen-in-florida.html A 14-year-old girl was bitten to death by a shark as she swam with a friend off a northwestern Florida beach, authorities said on Sunday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/shark-kills-teen-in-florida.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/new-software-able-to-track-causes-of.html Authorities now have a new tool to help nail culprits responsible for oil spills and other chemical pollutants, an international chemistry conference will hear. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/new-software-able-to-track-causes-of.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/whaling-issue-still-unresolved.html The 57th Annual International Whaling Commission (IWC) concluded its five day meeting on Friday in the South Korean coastal town of Ulsan with an agreement to hold further talks on a management procedure of whale hunts. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/whaling-issue-still-unresolved.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/climate-change-in-africa-gave-rise-to.html Now experts fear that global warming linked to carbon emissions will have its worst impact on humanity's cradle. "Africa is the most vulnerable continent to climate change," said Jennifer Morgan, director of the Global Climate Change Programme at conservation group WWF. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/climate-change-in-africa-gave-rise-to.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/tsunami-alert-system-takes-shape.html Six months after the 26 December tsunami, which swept away a myriad of futures, many homes still remain crumpled and lives shattered. But amongst the ruins a resolve is growing: next time it will be different. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/tsunami-alert-system-takes-shape.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/korean-shark-fishing-skipper-gets-off.html Eastern Cape newspapers carried the story last week of a South Korean fishing vessel arrested at sea after a dramatic sea chase involving one of Sea Fishery's new patrol ships. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/korean-shark-fishing-skipper-gets-off.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/jellyfish-is-anatomically.html A U.S. study says the anus-less, headless, heartless, gutless, back or front-less jellyfish is really a remarkable genetically sophisticated creature. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/jellyfish-is-anatomically.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/south-africa-warned-to-scale-back-on.html Forget about South Africa's big soccer date in 2010 for a moment. Focus instead on 2012 - that's the date when South Africa's honeymoon with cheap and dirty energy supplies is likely to come to an end. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/south-africa-warned-to-scale-back-on.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/great-white-shark-dies-in-captivity.html A great white shark mistakenly captured by fishermen died shortly after the Monterey Bay Aquarium transported it to an ocean holding pen. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/great-white-shark-dies-in-captivity.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/circle-hooks-help-save-sea-turtles.html Results from the first large-scale testing of specially designed fishing hooks show that the use of circle hooks can reduce the number of endangered sea turtles killed in long line fishing operations by as much as 90 percent, said WWF. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/circle-hooks-help-save-sea-turtles.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/disruptions-in-earths-magnetism-causes.html Increased solar activity causing disturbances in the Earth's magnetic field may cause whales to run aground in the North Sea, say researchers. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/disruptions-in-earths-magnetism-causes.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/scientists-map-ocean-floor-in.html Using inflatable boats, a portable depth sounder with GPS, and a REMUS autonomous underwater vehicle, a team of scientists and engineers has created the first detailed, comprehensive chart of the ocean floor around Palmer Station in Antarctica, revealing previously unknown submerged rocks. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/scientists-map-ocean-floor-in.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/big-fish-important-in-gene-pool-study.html Anglers chasing big fish and leaving the small fry might be doing far more harm than good, according to marine scientists in the United States. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/big-fish-important-in-gene-pool-study.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/young-girl-killed-by-shark-in-vanuatu.html A young New Zealand girl has been killed by a shark in Vanuatu while on a family yachting vacation in the South Pacific nation, officials in New Zealand said on Thursday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/young-girl-killed-by-shark-in-vanuatu.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/capenature-managers-take-5-pay-cut.html Senior managers at cash-strapped CapeNature have taken a voluntary 5 percent cut in salary to try to ease the conservation organisation's serious financial problems. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/capenature-managers-take-5-pay-cut.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/film-shows-whales-protracted-death.html CAMPAIGNERS against whaling have released an under-cover film which they say undermines claims they die quickly and as painlessly as possible. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/film-shows-whales-protracted-death.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/japans-proposal-to-resume-whaling.html Japan lashed out at anti-whaling nations on Tuesday after its proposal to resume limited commercial hunting was voted down by an international commission and its "scientific" harvesting heavily criticised. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/japans-proposal-to-resume-whaling.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/bull-elephant-tramples-guide-to-death.html A guide at Knysna Elephant Park between Knysna and Plettenberg Bay was trampled to death on Tuesday by a bull elephant as he took it for a morning walk. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/bull-elephant-tramples-guide-to-death.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/capenature-seeking-help-to-clear-debt.html CapeNature has asked the provincial legislature's community development committee for at least R20-million to bail it out of the red. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/capenature-seeking-help-to-clear-debt.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/oiled-african-penguins-arrive-in-cape.html Close to one hundred oiled African penguins have been found on Bird Island in Algoa Bay near Port Elizabeth, and 65 of them have been flown to Cape Town for cleaning and rehabilitation. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/oiled-african-penguins-arrive-in-cape.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/elephant-management-strategies.html Member countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are discussing ways to establish a common strategy to manage the elephant population in the region in order to monitor their migratory movements, their impact on their habitats, and to minimise the conflict between wildlife and human populations. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/elephant-management-strategies.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/south-african-pollution-permit.html The government will start identifying South Africa's top 50 dirty industries from next month and get them to clean up their acts, Environment Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk announced on Monday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/south-african-pollution-permit.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/climates-of-change-coming-to-south.html The Western Cape will be the first province in the country to experience at first-hand the results of climatic changes in the next 10 to 15 years. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/climates-of-change-coming-to-south.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/south-africas-commissioner-not.html South Africa is set to be severely embarrassed at the crucial International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting which opens in South Korea on Monday by the absence of vice-chairperson Horst Kleinschmidt. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/south-africas-commissioner-not.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/warm-weather-brings-basker-sharks-look.html Newspapers have been reporting on the warm weather with glee, splashing coverage of people enjoying the sun across the media, and alongside the people, sharks. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/warm-weather-brings-basker-sharks-look.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/south-africa-celebrates-45-years-of.html South Africa is celebrating 45 years of research on Antarctica and this month is also Antarctica Month. The protection of this delicate area is now also firmly entrenched with the signing of the environmental liability regime in Sweden two weeks ago by all countries of the Antarctic Treaty. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/south-africa-celebrates-45-years-of.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/caught-in-nets-wwf-report-identifies.html Nine dolphin and porpoise populations around the world need immediate action if they are to survive the threat of entanglement in fishing gear. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/caught-in-nets-wwf-report-identifies.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/elephants-rumble-in-jungle.html Each elephant has its own unique, expressive voice, according to new research on how African elephants communicate with each other. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/elephants-rumble-in-jungle.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/coalition-urges-un-curbs-on-harmful.html An environmental coalition urged the United Nations on Wednesday to take steps to protect whales, dolphins and other marine life from the powerful sound waves used in oil and gas exploration and by the world's navies to navigate and detect submarines. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/coalition-urges-un-curbs-on-harmful.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/red-tide-toxins-pose-lingering-threat.html New research findings have revealed that the toxins produced during Florida red tides do pose a threat to marine mammals, even after the blooms have disappeared. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/red-tide-toxins-pose-lingering-threat.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/nets-kill-nearly-1000-marine-mammals.html Fishing nets intended for other marine species are killing at-risk species of dolphins and porpoises around the world, according to a report commissioned by the nonprofit World Wildlife Fund-U.S. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/nets-kill-nearly-1000-marine-mammals.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/experts-wade-into-anti-shark-waters.html Specialists are being asked to critically review all standard anti-shark measures such as shark nets, electronic repellents and baited lines and to assess their usefulness in protecting Cape Town's coastline. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/experts-wade-into-anti-shark-waters.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/book-review-currents-of-contrast-life.html THE ocean currents peculiar to southern Africa create four distinct marine provinces with richly varied habitats -- the cool temperate west coast of the Benguela region, and the warm temperate south coast, subtropical east coast and tropical east coast of the Agulhas-Mozambique region. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/book-review-currents-of-contrast-life.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/nets-kill-thousands-of-marine-mammals.html Almost 1 000 whales, dolphins and porpoises die daily in fishing nets and urgent changes are needed in trawling methods to save nine populations under immediate threat, conservation group WWF said on Thursday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/nets-kill-thousands-of-marine-mammals.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/southern-african-ministers-meet-to.html As part of the preparations for the 2010 Soccer World Cup, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, will on Monday host nine other Southern African Ministers for the Environment and Tourism in Johannesburg for discussions about a regional approach to unlock the tourism potential of Southern Africa's transfrontier parks. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/southern-african-ministers-meet-to.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/asia-risks-second-mega-tsunami.html The Indonesian island of Sumatra is now at risk from two potentially major quakes, one of which could generate waves 10 metres high, seismologists warn. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/asia-risks-second-mega-tsunami.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/fresh-water-danger-for-lake-st-lucia.html Lake St Lucia is drying up and under pressure. That's the view of local ecologist and tour operator Kian Barker who has spoken out about his and others' growing concern over the continued closure of the estuary mouth, which is preventing sea water from entering the system. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/fresh-water-danger-for-lake-st-lucia.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/no-great-white-sharks-will-be-killed.html "There will be no attempt to hunt, remove, or kill that shark or any other shark." http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/no-great-white-sharks-will-be-killed.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/enter-world-of-shark-at-your-peril.html Should man-eating sharks be hunted and destroyed? http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/enter-world-of-shark-at-your-peril.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/humans-heat-oceans-according-to-study.html Human-caused global warming is measurably heating up the oceans, say US and UK researchers. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/humans-heat-oceans-according-to-study.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/sponging-dolphins-learn-from-mother.html Female bottlenose dolphins are taught by their mothers to use marine sponges to look for food, according to a study. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/sponging-dolphins-learn-from-mother.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/south-africa-celebrates-national.html Issues relating to the environment come under the spotlight this week as South Africa celebrates National Environment Week, coinciding with International Environment Day today. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/south-africa-celebrates-national.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/declare-war-on-sharks-says-swimming.html An experienced long-distance swimmer is calling for a bounty to be placed on Great White sharks after medical student Henri Murray was attacked - and says he is planning to hunt them. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/declare-war-on-sharks-says-swimming.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/south-africas-plan-for-protection-of.html The Deputy Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Ms Rejoice Mabudafhasi, will on Wednesday 8 June 2004 launch the South African Implementation Plan for the Protection of the Marine Environment. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/south-africas-plan-for-protection-of.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/parents-make-peace-with-shark-attack.html An outdoor enthusiast and a keen sportsman, medical student Henri Murray had a fighting spirit. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/parents-make-peace-with-shark-attack.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/search-off-for-shark-attack-victim.html The car keys of the spear fisherman feared to have been taken by a great white shark at the weekend were found on a beach at Fish Hoek, the National Sea Rescue Institute said. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/search-off-for-shark-attack-victim.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/shark-bounty-hunting-mooted.html The project manager of Swimsafe says he plans shark "bounty hunts" similar to those in Southern Australia after a Matie student was attacked by one of the predators at Miller's Point. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/shark-bounty-hunting-mooted.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/monster-shark-spotted-in-false-bay.html The shark believed to have cut short the life of Durbanville medical student Henri Murray on Saturday, was spotted in False Bay on Sunday, dragging a fishing buoy. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/monster-shark-spotted-in-false-bay.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/underwater-exploration-along-coast-of.html Following the phenomenal success of "Operation Zembe" Monty Halls, a full time dive journalist and expedition leader will once again collaborate with maritime archaeologist, Dr Bruno Werz of the South African Institute of Marine Archaeology (SAIMA), to lead a second expedition from 2-22 October 2005 to Cape Town to further the story behind one of the most exciting archaeological discoveries in decades. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/underwater-exploration-along-coast-of.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/south-africa-set-to-celebrate-national.html The 21st Century marks the first point in human history that the majority of the world's people will be living in cities," said Marthinus van Schalkwyk, Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, speaking on World Environment Day on Sunday. The Minister was also launching South Africa's celebrations of National Environment Week. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/south-africa-set-to-celebrate-national.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/environment-day-spotlights-cities.html Events have been taking place in more than 100 countries to mark World Environment Day, which is promoting the idea of "green cities". http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/environment-day-spotlights-cities.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/hooked-lines-may-be-end-of-rare.html Costa Rica and more than 1 000 scientists from around the world will ask the United Nations on Monday to ban a form of industrial fishing they say menaces an endangered sea turtle and other marine creatures. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/hooked-lines-may-be-end-of-rare.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/environment-atlas-shows-worldwide.html The devastating impact of mankind on the planet is dramatically illustrated in pictures published on Saturday showing explosive urban sprawl, major deforestation and the sucking dry of inland seas over less than three decades. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/environment-atlas-shows-worldwide.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/bbc-nature-says-give-sharks-break.html BBC Nature have put together an interesting and informative factfile on shark conservation. Entitled 'The ultimate image problem' the article gives an easily readable overview on the threats to shark populations. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/bbc-nature-says-give-sharks-break.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/western-cape-only-has-water-for-seven.html The Western Cape will face serious water shortages in seven years' time unless something is done about water supplies. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/western-cape-only-has-water-for-seven.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/south-africa-embarks-on-reptile.html South Africa is re-counting its snakes, crocodiles, tortoises, lizards and other endangered reptile species for the first time in 16 years. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/south-africa-embarks-on-reptile.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/engineering-students-develop-coral.html Five senior engineering students at UCSC are trying to push the limits of low-power wireless transmission to facilitate the monitoring of remote natural environments. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/engineering-students-develop-coral.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/false-killer-whales-stranded-near.html The condition of up to 160 false killer whales stranded on the Busselton beachfront, south of Perth, is deteriorating and at least one of the mammals has died. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/false-killer-whales-stranded-near.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/scientists-identify-key-vectors-of.html A gray whale that strayed into Tokyo Bay during the Golden Week holiday period early last month found its sudden fame cut short when it was strangled by a fixed shore net. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/scientists-identify-key-vectors-of.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/are-shark-attacks-on-increase.html The shark attack off Miller's Point over the weekend has again raised the questions whether shark attacks are more common nowadays and why they happen. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/are-shark-attacks-on-increase.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/massive-sardine-shoal-headed-for.html A massive sardine shoal has been spotted off East London, headed for the KwaZulu-Natal coast, the province's tourism MEC, Narend Singh, said on Tuesday. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/massive-sardine-shoal-headed-for.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/coral-reefs-dying-situation.html If any living organism is facing threats from every direction, it is coral reefs. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/coral-reefs-dying-situation.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/kill-killer-says-grieving-father-of.html The father of 22-year-old shark victim Henri Murray is opposed to calls made to exterminate the predators, but says he wouldn't object if the Great White that attacked his son was killed. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/kill-killer-says-grieving-father-of.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/friend-tries-to-rescue-shark-attack.html In a horrific attack off Miller's Point on Saturday a massive shark came out of the depths, seized young spearfisherman, Henri Murray, 22, of Durbanville and disappeared with him underwater. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/06/friend-tries-to-rescue-shark-attack.html http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/03/malaria-in-southern-africa.html Malaria within Southern Africa is only prevalent in a few areas. It is encountered mainly in northern and eastern Mpumalanga, northern Kwa-Zulu Natal, and the border areas of the Limpopo and North West Provinces. http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/2005/03/malaria-in-southern-africa.html