We’ve been saying for years that fishing kills. Remember this oldie-but-goodie tuna can sticker? Need another reason not to eat fish sea kittens? A new survey reveals that over the past two decades, millions (yes, millions) of turtles have died after becoming ensnared in fishing gear. Turtles are intelligent, sensitive animals who are … Read more »
Have you tuned in to Life yet? Not to be confused with the delicious cereal of the same name or the painfully long bored game, Life is actually a 10-part documentary series that premiered on the Discovery Channel on March 21 and chronicles the complex lives of different species—from komodo dragons to cuttlefish, damselflies to … Read more »
Folks, I have to tell you that I am freaking out about a recent government bill. No, no—I don’t mean that one. I’m talking about this one, which would allow barbershops in Tennessee to display live animals in bird cages and fish tanks for “decorative purposes.” http://www.flickr.com/photos/blapp/ / CC BY 2.0 Before Gov. … Read more »
Apparently, some people have gotten so impatient when it comes to satisfying their hunger that they can no longer wait for someone to kill their food for them. “Exotic eaters” are resorting to eating live octopi, and it has sparked a lively PETA HQ debate, which I need your help to win. Which is worse … Read more »
Today, we’re breaking out the bubbly to celebrate a victory. The Oscar-winning filmmakers behind The Cove recently went undercover inside The Hump—a Los Angeles sushi joint—to gather evidence that the restaurant was selling whale sushi. Yesterday, Typhoon Restaurant Inc.—the company that owns The Hump—was charged with illegally selling whale meat. According to the Marine Mammal … Read more »
safe.org / CC We’ve already got crustacean cheer up in here—now it’s time to send it to the Kiwis. The Auckland Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and SAFE have shut down Catcha Cray game machines in three pubs in New Zealand’s largest city! The organizations also plan to take legal action … Read more »
dailymail / CC 2010 is already shaping up to be a clawsome year for lobsters! First, Kalahari Resorts dropped Lobster Zone machines from all its locations, and now Doc Ryan’s—a bar in Illinois—has also made the humane choice to remove the “game.” After we urged people to take action, it took a mere 24 hours … Read more »
latimesblogs.latimes / CC Let’s get some crustacean cheers up in here—Kalahari Resorts is removing all Lobster Zone “games” from its locations in Wisconsin and Ohio. The Lobster Zone, found in some bars and restaurants, allows patrons to grab at lobsters and pluck one out of a machine using a joystick-controlled crane with an attached … Read more »
Here’s a phenomenon that’ll stick in your memory like an octopus sticks to a … coconut shell: scienceblogs / CCClick here for video With the recent discovery that the veined octopus sometimes carries around a coconut shell to use as impromptu shelter, this eight-legged wonder is now the first known tool-using animal without … Read more »
chicagopublicradio / CC This is one of those bizarre stories that could easily stump the panel on a “Wait, Wait … Don’t Tell Me!” pick-the-fake-news-story segment. On Wednesday night, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources dumped 2,200 gallons of deadly poison into a 5.7-mile stretch of a canal in order to prevent Asian carp from … Read more »
Oh, South Park. So irreverent, yet poignant! Consider last night’s Whale Wars parody, in which Stan takes Captain Paul Watson’s place in the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and steps up the conservationists’ campaign in a way only possible through cartoon violence. (Yes, there were explosions.) Amidst the world’s rightful outcry at the injustice of whaling, … Read more »
That would be PETA supporters Emily McCoy and Emily Lavender (aka adorable fuzzy seal), who shook things up a bit at the fall conference of the Fisheries Council of Canada. Check out the look on the face of the woman in the foreground. Why were these two nice ladies attending a conference for … Read more »
14bikeco.wordpress / CC Shark finning is one of the most disgusting practices of the already disgusting fishing industry. Sharks are caught, their fins are cut off, and they are either left to suffocate or are thrown back into the water to slowly bleed to death or be eaten by other marine animals. All this suffering … Read more »
Those of you who still need convincing that fish sea kittens are smarter than a 5-year-old should check out today’s New York Times. Molecular biologist and geneticist Sean B. Carroll writes about recent studies indicating that fish who inhabit coral reefs can learn to differentiate between targets marked with different designs and colors in order … Read more »
PETA’s Rescue Department is always on call to help animals out of life-threatening emergencies. Case in point: A rescue worker was recently awakened by a page regarding an anhinga who had somehow become entangled in a tree limb. Anhingas are tropical birds found in the Everglades, and this Florida caller was worried about the frightened … Read more »