A newly Discoverd Fish but the Oilspill threatens the small Pancake Batfish

24.7.2010 von Daniel Sasse.

Halieutichthys aculeatus (Mitchill 1818)

Pancake Batfish threatened by the Louisiana Oil-Spill where its teritorial is placed!

Max. size: 100 mm (4in.)

Easily identified by: rounded disk, pectoral fin lobes connected to the tail by skin, reticular pattern on the dorsal surface, ventral surface of body naked.

Range and depth: North Carolina to northern South America, including the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, Cuba, Venezuela, and the Bahamas in 0 - 421 meters (0 - 1389 feet) (Miller 1965, Bullis and Struhsaker 1970, McEachran and Fechhelm 1998).

Habitat: occurs on substrata consisting of hard sand and coral, sand and sandy clay, or sandy mud with shell debris (Richards and Bradbury 1999).

Feeding: polychaete worms, small crustaceans (e.g. mysids), and small gastropods (Winans 1975, Nagareda 2005, Nagareda and Shenker 2008).

Ogcocephalus declivirostris Bradbury 1980

Slantbrow Batfish

Max. size: 137 mm (5.4 inches) (McEachran and Fechhelm 1998)

Easily identified by: rostrum slopes downward (not upwards or horizontal) with respect to the long axis of the body, pectoral fins translucent and taper to a point (not rounded) (Bradbury 1980).

Range and depth: northern and western Gulf of Mexico in 3.5 – 180 meters (11.55 – 594 feet) with one specimen recorded from the Straits of Florida at 388 meters (1280.4 feet) (Bradbury 1980).

Feeding: primarily tiny gastropods, specifically Nassarius sp, and Cosmioconcha calliglypta (Nagareda 2005, Nagareda and Shenker 2008).

Ogcocephalus pantostictus Bradbury 1980

Spotted Batfish

Max. size: 310 mm (12.2 inches) (McEachran and Fechhelm 1998)

Easily identified by: pattern of dark spots over the entire dorsal surface of the body.

Range and depth: north and west Gulf of Mexico, from Mobile Bay, Alabama to Tampico, Tamaulipas (Mexico) in 9-31 meters (29.7-102.3 feet) (Bradbury 1980).

Feeding: gastropods (Cosmioconcha calliglypta, Kurtziella sp., Oliva sayana), xanthid crabs and swimming crabs (Callinectes similis) (Nagareda 2005, Nagareda and Shenker 2008).

Other notes: rostrum characterized by ontogenetic allometry (very long in juveniles, then shortens with growth to become very short in adults
More Information here and Pictures here!

Share

Geschrieben in Umwelt und Marine Schutz, Tauchen | Keine Kommentare »

TDEX 2010 Bangkok Scuba Diving Expo

14.7.2010 von Daniel Sasse.

More Pictures here! 

TDEX 2010 great success in Bangkok for TDA (Thailand Diving Association) & Poseidon Dive Academy Thailand Krabi Ao Nang

Daniel Sasse and Yuphin Phiranam have had a lot of interessted customers on the Booth and where busy during the four days of the Scuba Diving Expo not only promoted the TDA but also the amazing Dive Sites in the Southwest of Thailand Phi Phi and Local Islands close to Ao Nang

This year TDA presents also additional information on mono fin swimming directly given by the Thai National Coach Mr. Vladimir Karmazin who three times won the World Championships already.
Further information you will find of course on the best diving spots all around Thailand!

Mr. Maik Rudolph, TDA BOD Member, was – as the years before – organizer and leader of TDA booth at TDEX 2010 in Bangkok.
With his idea to present the new discipline of fin swimming beside all information about diving in Thailand he could attract many visitors to the booth!
Therefore especially at the weekend all TDA Team was very busy to provide interesting information to everybody.
For more details on Free- & Apnoe diving click here or contact us directly here!

There were also Environmental Organisations like Greenfins Thai Environmental Reef Check ect. Who showed on how to prevent littering and wasting the Ocean with Movies and little tricks which actually help a lot!

 

Share

Geschrieben in Umwelt und Marine Schutz, Poseidon, Tauchen | Keine Kommentare »

A win for the whales

30.6.2010 von Daniel Sasse.

despite huge corruption at whaling commission

by Rod Marining

A psychic message had gone out to all eco-warriors who had ever fought for whales: “Get your body over to Agadir, Morocco, now!” As we say on the Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace ships, “All hands on deck!”

So there I was at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the International Whaling Commission (June 21-25), walking through loads of security into a room where the fate of the great whales would be decided for one more year. There were 88 representatives from various countries – people who would make the ultimate decisions – and more than 240 non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Everyone was very nervous and there was no clear indication of the fate of the whales, one way or the other. There were powerful forces at play, both good and evil.

Sex was one of the forces working against the whales. Flights, Girls and Cash Buy Japan Whaling Votes read a Sunday Times headline on June 13. A stack of Xeroxed copies of the article sat on the NGO media table and I picked one up. The jokey comments included, “Hookers for harpoons? ‘What do you mean?’ asks the diplomat. ‘You give me harpoons to kill the whales with your vote and I give you hookers, really “good girls” for you. What do you say? We have a deal?’”

It is common knowledge among enviros that a huge block of small nations –surrogates as they are called – have been bought off by the Japanese foreign affairs department and the Sunday Times article provided definitive proof of the corruption. Journalists with hidden cameras and micro-phones had set up a sting operation, posing as anti-whaling lobbyists with very deep pockets, wanting to buy votes.

The Times piece accused Japan of systematically bribing nations with sex, aid, cash and flights in return for their vote to overturn the 1982 ban on commercial whaling and end the hard won Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary – two huge environmental milestones in the battle to save the last of the whales. The journalists spoke extensively to officials from St. Kitts, Nevis Island, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Grenada, Ivory Coast, Tanzania and Guinea, offering multi-million pound aid packages if they stopped supporting Japan at the IWC.

For example, within the last two years, Japan had given Tanzania the sum of $88 million pounds (about $160 million Canadian) in fisheries aid. Five Tanzanian government officials at the IWC were given $22,000 pounds for tuition fees and living expenses while they studied in Japan – that’s more than $40,000 Canadian per year times five officials – to get their fisheries degree at a Japanese university.

A Tanzanian official revealed that Japan “secretively” paid for the tickets and hotels for the IWC delegates from different countries. They were also taken on all-expenses-paid visits to Japan where “good girls” would be available.

The Sunday Times reporter asked the Tanzanian official, “So you think the other countries’ representatives are set up with prostitutes from Japan?” The official answered, “Yes, you know, yeah… it starts by… ‘You want massaging? It’s going to be free massaging. Are you lonely? You don’t want any comfort?’”

Both the Associated Press and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation have previously aired stories in which Japanese officials have stated there is nothing wrong with using overseas development aid to buy votes. However, this is the first time prostitution and cash payments have been added to the list of bribes.

I learned the present Chair of the IWC has also received money from the Japanese. The Chair actually confirmed his flights and hotel were paid for by them, yet the NGOs would not call for his resignation. I noted to the NGO that this Chair was obviously in a compromised position and that he controlled the entire conference. When I asked why they would not ask for his resignation, the answer was, “It is better to know the devil you know than to get a new devil that you don’t know.”

After only two hours on Monday morning, the Chair stated, “We are now breaking into secret sessions to discuss the consensus proposal and we will be adjourning to Wednesday morning.”

The consensus proposal called for the approval of commercial whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary and other places at a fixed limit of about 1,300 whales per year for 10 years – a harvest of 13,000 whales. A whaling phase-down would follow, (not a phase-out). In other words, kill whales now for 10 years, in the hope that after 10 years we would start saving whales. Kill whales to save whales, sort of like fighting for peace. All this was happening behind closed doors with media and NGOs waiting for the verdict.

On Wednesday morning, it was clear the “deal” was dead. Chairman Livingstone, in his opening remarks, which reviewed the 10 intercessional meetings held since the Commission met in Alaska three years ago, as well as the work completed over the last two days, quickly revealed that many differences between parties remained unsettled, trade and “scientific” whaling among them. The process had been useful in that exchanges had been cordial and frank, but no consensus had been reached. Japan led off the commentary, saying it was willing to compromise to some extent, but unwilling to commit to zero after 10 years of legal whaling in the Antarctic.

On the edge of the Sahara Desert, the great whales were given one more year of reprieve. Japan is again in the position of violating the ban on commercial whaling and killing whales within the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. The Japanese state they are killing whales for scientific purposes, yet not one peer review scientific paper has been published. Furthermore, they have never answered the question why it is necessary for them to kill whales for research when the world’s scientific community has been employing non-lethal DNA research for more than 20 years.

Despite an international moratorium on commercial whaling established in 1982 and a huge whale sanctuary surrounding Antarctica, roughly 2,000 whales are killed each year, including endangered and vulnerable species. More than 35,000 whales have been killed since the moratorium began.

Australia is preparing its court case against Japan in the International World Court in The Hague, for whaling within a sanctuary and selling their whale meat. If it wins, it will have the moral right to slap tariffs on Japan. Japan may have a bigger navy than Australia, but Japan’s economy is on the ropes; the prime minister likens Japan’s economy to Greece. A trade war would definitely increase the cost to defend Japanese whaling to a $2 billion+ enterprise. Economics will play a significant role in abolishing whaling industry.

I hope the United Nations creates a navy to enforce the many laws in place for the protection of the great oceans. There is also a need to enforce governance issues, such as buying votes. Diplomats should fear jail sentences in cases of bribery. The IWC, in order to maintain credibility with the world, must investigate and take action to stop such blatant usurpation of the Commission’s integrity.

As for the age-old question of whether or not mankind is an instrument for good or evil, a real battle ensued at the IWC and the profoundest changes took place within a short time frame. Yes, we beat back what amounted to a ridiculous proposal to legalize commercial whaling. Meanwhile, more than 20,000 dolphins and porpoises and 2,000 large whales are slaughtered every year. Many other eco-battles lie ahead and I hope that all good people step forward and take an active role in saving our natural world from greed.

Let’s make mankind an instrument for good. There was a real battle here, where profound changes took place within a reduced time frame. Whales are a symbol of life on this planet. If we save the whales we save the humans. Fortunately the good side has won for now. Lets keep it that way. Get involved.

Take action at:
www.dallsporpoise.org
eii.org/immp/
www.avaaz.org
www.seashepherd.org
www.iwcoffice.org
www.savejapandolphins.org
www.thecovemovie/takepart
www.opsociety.org

Rod Marining is a co-founder of Greenpeace International. He has sailed into nuclear test zones and has disrupted Antarctic whaling on the Sea Shepherd.
Share

Geschrieben in Umwelt und Marine Schutz, Poseidon, Tauchen | Keine Kommentare »

The Second Asia Pacific Coral Reef Symposium, over five days on Phuket.

22.6.2010 von Daniel Sasse.

Delegates on Phuket hear all about the state of the region’s coral reefs

Photo by phuuketwan.com

Phuket’s Reefs Gain from Gathering of Experts

By Chutima Sidasathian

Sunday, June 20, 2010

PHUKET’S coral reefs will gain invaluable help this week from 450 experts taking part in the Second Asia Pacific Coral Reef Symposium, over five days on Phuket.

On Tuesday, many of them will dive off the reefs themselves, before returning to talk more about the problems that are assailing coral reefs throughout the region.

Phuket Vice Governor Treerayut Eamtakul said today that with so many difficulties to be surmounted to protect the Andaman’s coral reefs for the future, it was timely and useful to have experts from 35 countries offering up their ideas.

The symposium is being held at Royal Phuket City Hotel until Thursday, with the dive trips and mini-symposiums occupying the experts’ time. ”Phuket will be delighted to hear what these experts can tell us,” the vice governor said.

It’s only the second symposium of its kind - the first was held four years ago in Hong Kong. Associated Professor Put O. Ang jr of the Marine Science Laboratory at the Chinese University of Hong Kong told Phuketwan today that the South China Sea and surrounding area was the richest in the world for coral reefs, marine creatures and plants.

But it was a struggle to ward off destructive fishing methods, sedimentation and deforestation, which were responsible for a general deterioration of the marine environment.

”Eventually this affects the livelihood of people who depend on the reefs,” he said. Bleaching caused by the extra heat of global climate change is the latest challenge. ”If the corals die, the whole system will collapse,” he said.

Dr Thamasak Yeemin, chair of the symposium organising committee and a Professor at Ramkhamhaeng University, said some 40 to 50 percent of Thailand’s coral reefs had been affected by bleaching.

”We can’t control the temperature of the water but we can control the number of divers,” he said. ”Other effects from run-off and fishing can also be managed,” he said.

Quality of the coral reefs was the key, he said. ”The reefs are vital for the tourism industry, on Phuket and around the world,” he added.

Phuket Coral Reefs Still Hostage to Sunshine
Latest Storm clouds have helped to relieve the risk to Phuket’s coral reefs but water temperatures remain high and the region’s natural treasures are not yet safe.
Phuket Coral Reefs Still Hostage to Sunshine

Phuket’s Coral Reefs Fighting for Survival
PHOTO ALBUM White comes as the pall of death, the point at which a coral reef could either expire or recover, and in the process, regain its full color. For Phuket’s reefs, it’s touch and go.
Phuket’s Coral Reefs Fighting for Survival

Phuket Environment Chief Warns of Disaster
Latest Phuket’s environmental chief makes a stand for the island’s beaches and reefs that deserves to be heard. The same point is being made by one of the world’s most powerful leaders.
Phuket Environment Chief Warns of Disaster

Phuket Coral Bleaches White as Heat Intensifies
Latest Almost all of Thailand’s coral reefs are bleaching and in danger of dying unless an unusual spell of heat breaks soon. Divers confirm the whitening, and greater jellyfish numbers.
Phuket Coral Bleaches White as Heat Intensifies

Similans Seem Set for World Heritage Listing
Latest Phuket and the Andaman coast’s prime dive destination, the Similan Islands, is being checked by an international working party, with World Heritage listing as the prize.
Similans Seem Set for World Heritage Listing

Geschrieben in Umwelt und Marine Schutz, Tauchen | Keine Kommentare »

Expedition launch: Arctic Under Pressure

7.6.2010 von Daniel Sasse.

Greenpeace heads to Arctic to investigate urgent ocean threats

We are returning to the Arctic Ocean with our ship the Esperanza this month to reinforce the urgent need to protect one of the most pristine and fragile environments on Earth.

 

zoom

Our ship departs soon from Germany The Esperanza will arrive in the Arctic waters of Svalbard later this month.

The Arctic is warming faster than anywhere else on the planet. As the sea ice vanishes, the fragile marine ecosystem is becoming disrupted and fishing fleets are racing northwards to exploit previously unreachable stocks. At the same time, increasing carbon dioxide levels from fossil fuels and forest destruction are changing the chemistry of our oceans and creating a severe threat to marine life.

The acid test

Our ship, Esperanza, and its crew are joining leading scientists to investigate the change in marine chemistry - called ‘ocean acidification’ as part of our ‘Arctic Under Pressure Expedition’. Although this is a lesser known impact of carbon dioxide (CO₂), it has the potential to disrupt our oceans just as much as climate change. The effects of ocean acidification are expected to hit first and hardest in the Arctic, but pose a serious threat to all ocean life, which is already struggling with climate change, over-fishing and pollution.

Each year, our oceans absorb around 8 billion tonnes of the CO₂ produced by the use of fossil fuels. The change in ocean chemistry is already evident and causing problems for shell-building sea creatures. But, as the situation worsens, it could cause the breakdown of marine ecosystems and affect the overall ocean health. The survival of corals, plankton and other critical sea life is severely threatened. If CO₂ emissions continue to rise at projected rates, there could be a 120 percent increase in ocean acidity by 2060. Ocean chemistry probably hasn’t changed this much, or this quickly, for 21 million years.

In the first experiment of its kind, we are supporting the German marine research institute IFM-GEOMAR (Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences) to study the effects of ocean acidification on marine ecosystems. The ‘Esperanza’ is taking scientists and over 30 tonnes of scientific equipment, including nine giant marine monitoring systems called ‘mesocosms’, to the Svalbard islands in the Arctic. Scientists from nine countries will be taking part in this research, which is the most comprehensive study on ocean acidification to date. It will highlight yet another scientific reason why we must make deep and urgent cuts in global CO₂ emissions.

Under pressure

 

zoom

Thinning ice Prof. Peter Wadhams and his team study Arctic ice thickness in 2009 - with the Greenpeace ship, Arctic Sunrise.

Throughout the northern hemisphere summer, our ‘Arctic Under Pressure Expedition’ will also expose and document the other serious threats to the Arctic Ocean. The melting of sea ice and the expansion of fishing industries into this region are endangering the pristine Arctic environment and unique wildlife. In attempting to secure ‘rights’ to Arctic fisheries, new transport routes, oil, gas and mineral resources, countries gain a vested interest in the continued melting of the Arctic. But, the more coal, oil and gas we burn, the faster the Arctic melts and the closer our planet comes to catastrophic climate change.
Professor Peter Wadhams, head of Cambridge University’s Polar Ocean Physics Group, will join the ‘Esperanza’ in August to investigate the thickness of the ice and its melting rate, following on from his 2009 Arctic work with Greenpeace.

Polar protection

The Arctic Ocean deserves full protection as a marine reserve and we are calling for a moratorium on all industrial activities there - including fishing. In 1991, after a long Greenpeace campaign, the 39 Antarctic Treaty signatories agreed to a 50-year minimum prohibition of all mineral exploitation, in effect preserving the continent for peaceful, scientific purposes. This serves as an example of how Arctic territorial issues should be handled.

The Antarctic is a landmass surrounded by oceans, the Arctic is an ocean surrounded by land, but the polar regions still have a lot in common. Both are incredibly fragile and susceptible to human activities. Both are part of the global commons and should be protected in perpetuity. Both are relatively untouched and should stay that way.

Don’t let it melt away

 

zoom

Quit coal Carbon emissions from coal are destroying polar bear habitat.

We’re also calling on governments to quit coal and spark an energy [r]evolution in order to reduce our carbon dioxide emmissions so that we can avoid the worst effects of climate change and save the Arctic together with all of its amazing wildlife, including polar bears and ringed seals. Governments need to realise the impacts of each new coal fired power plant they approve, and we’ll be in the Arctic for the next three months to show them.

Take Action: Help protect the polar bears — join the call for a global network of marine reserves that includes a fully protected Arctic Ocean
Sign up to our newsletter to stay updated on this exciting expedition and find out how you can get involved
Read more about Arctic threats
Check out the webcam on the Esperanza
Share

Geschrieben in Umwelt und Marine Schutz, Poseidon, Tauchen | Keine Kommentare »

Amazing SOLAR and WIND Powered VAN

25.5.2010 von Daniel Sasse.

Geschrieben in Umwelt und Marine Schutz | Keine Kommentare »

Would you like to increase your followers on Twitter?

13.5.2010 von Daniel Sasse.

Try this page!

Follow Me!

Follow me on Twitter and increase automatically your followers at the same time!

Share

Geschrieben in Poseidon | Keine Kommentare »

Accord reached on ban of shark fins in Hawaii

2.5.2010 von Daniel Sasse.

State House and Senate negotiators agreed yesterday to prohibit the possession, sale and distribution of shark fins, a victory for Native Hawaiians, who see the shark as a cultural deity, and for animal rights activists who believe shark finning is a cruel practice that threatens the ocean’s ecosystem.

Restaurants that make shark fin soup would have until July 2011 to use shark fins in their inventory as of this July.

Under the agreement, which now goes before the full House and Senate for final approval, the administrative fine for the first offense would be $5,000 to $15,000; the fine for a second offense would be $15,000 to $35,000 and commercial marine licenses and fishing vessels would be subject to seizure and forfeiture; and the fine for a third offense would be $35,000 to $50,000 and up to a year in jail along with possible seizure and forfeiture of commercial marine licenses and fishing vessels.

The draft also includes an exemption that would allow shark fins to be used for state-permitted research and educational purposes.

Many Native Hawaiians consider sharks ‘aumakua — a protective spirit that can take animal form — and object to the nature of shark finning, which involves cutting the fins from captured sharks and then releasing them back into the water to suffer and die.

Shark finning is illegal in Hawai’i. Animal rights advocates contend that sharks are being harvested around the world for their fins because of the popularity of shark fin soup in Chinese restaurants.

“This is a bill that sets Hawai’i apart,” said state Sen. Clayton Hee, D-23rd (Kāne’ohe, Kahuku), a Senate negotiator, adding that the international community has been watching the bill.

“It is a cultural issue for Native Hawaiians. It is a small acknowledgement of that aspect of the culture,” he said. “It’s something, like other cultural issues, that Hawaiians have been silent about. But they have never, in my opinion, relented on the belief in the ‘aumakua, and the shark is but one of many.”

State Rep. Jon Riki Karamatsu, D-41st (Waipahu, Village Park, Waikele), a House negotiator, said negotiators were looking for a compromise and ended up siding more with environmentalists.

“They can still serve shark fin soup for one more year, basically,” he said of local restaurants.

Inga Gibson, the Hawai’i state director of The Humane Society of the United States, said the bill sets a precedent. She described it as a “wonderful day for Hawai’i’s sharks.”

“Hawai’i has the opportunity to really be the leader in the nation, if not the world, in shark and ocean protection,” she said.

Share

Geschrieben in Umwelt und Marine Schutz, Tauchen | 1 Kommentar »

Useful tourist information and phone numbers for Tourists traveling to Thailand

28.4.2010 von Daniel Sasse.

The government stresses that measures resulting  from the declaration of the state of emergency in Bangkok and nearby  provinces will not affect ordinary people or foreign visitors. But, just  to play safe, you can read more information that will help your trip go  easier and safer, below.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva informed the public of the Thai Cabinet’s decision to declare a severe emergency situation.

Thank you TAT for this useful information.

The Declaration of a Severe Emergency Situation covers areas of Bangkok and certain districts of five nearby provinces. As follow:

- Nonthaburi province
- The districts of Muang, Bang Phli, Phra Pradang, Phra Samut Chedi, Bang Boh and Bang Sao Thong in Samut Prakan province
- The districts of Thanyaburi, Lad Lumkaew, Sam Kok, Lam Luk Ka and Khlong Luang in Pathum Thani province
- Phutthamonthon district in Nakhon Pathom province
- The districts of Wang Noi, Bang Pa-in, Bang Sai and Lat Bua Luang in Ayutthaya province

Travel to all other parts of the kingdom has not been affected. Tourism activities in all other areas continue as normal. Tourism activities in all other areas of Bangkok and travel to all other parts of the kingdom have not been affected.

Both city airports (Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang) are operating as normal.
All other international and domestic airports in Thailand remain fully operational.

To avoid traffic congestion, it is best to travel by BTS sky train or MRT underground train.

Useful phone numbers
Ministry of Tourism Aid Center: +66 (0) 2356-0720 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              +66 (0) 2356-0720      end_of_the_skype_highlighting  / +66 (0) 2356-0729 / 1414
Ministry of Foreign Affairs: +66 (0) 2575-1023 / +66 (0) 2981-7225  / +66-88-022-1540 / +66-88-022-1541
ATTA (Association of Thai Travel Agents): +66 (0) 2134-4263
Tourism Authority of Thailand: +66 (0) 2652-8313-4
BTS skytrain Hotline: +66 (0) 2617-6000
BTS skytrain Tourist Information Centre: +66 (0) 2617-7340
Bug1133 (ask anything): 1133
Ministry of Tourism and Sports: 1414
TAT Call Centre: 1672
Tourist Police: 1155
General Insurance Association: 1356
Suvarnabhumi International Airport: +66 (0) 2132-1888
Suvarnabhumi International Airport flight inquiries: +66 (0) 2132-0000 / +66 (0) 2132-9328-9
Don Mueang Airport: +66 (0) 2535-1669
Don Mueang Flight inquiries: +66 (0) 2535-1616
Chiang Mai International Airport: +66 (0) 5392-2100 / +66 (0) 5392-2444

Airline phone numbers
Bangkok Airways Hot Line: +66 (0) 2265-8777 / 1771
Nok Air: +66 (0) 2627-2000
Air Asia: +66 (0) 2515-9999 / www.airasia.com
PB Air: +66 (0) 2261-0220-5 / www.pbair.com
Jetstar International: +66 (0) 2267-5125
Tiger Airways: +66 (0) 2649-9688 (Bangkok)
Thai Airways International (THAI): +66 (0) 2356-1111

Natürlich auch in Deutsch erhältlich! Klick hier!

Share

Geschrieben in Poseidon, Tauchen | Keine Kommentare »

We have a new Flickr Account

24.4.2010 von Daniel Sasse.

A new Photostream on Flickr from Poseidon is available to watch! Click here
Share

Geschrieben in Poseidon, Tauchen | Keine Kommentare »

Kiwi freediver “William Trubridge” sets new record 92m without Fins

23.4.2010 von Daniel Sasse.

Kiwi freediver William Trubridge has set yet another world record by plunging 92 meters underwater.
Trubridge, 29, set the record about 5am New Zealand time in the ”no fins” category of the Vertical Blue 2010 event in the Bahamas.

He held his breath for three minutes and 45 seconds in the record plunge - collecting a tag from a plate 92 meters deep to prove he had set the record.

Before the dive, Trubridge told The Dominion Post the ”no fins” event was the ”purest discipline” in freediving, which required a lot of strength.

”It’s a very physical discipline, because you can only use your hands and feet.”

At the weekend, he attempted to set a world record in a discipline which allows divers to use fins and a rope, but he failed after struggling to ”equalize” one of his ears.
The competition is happening at the 203m-deep Dean’s Blue Hole - the deepest blue hole in the world.

The greatest danger for Trubridge during the dive was that he could run out of oxygen and black out, organizers said.

Trubridge had previously set at least seven world records in the sport, including one in December last year when he dived to 90 meters without fins.

Would you like to do a Course in freediving? Let me know and send me an email!
Share

Geschrieben in Tauchen | Keine Kommentare »

World’s deepest undersea volcanic vents discovered

15.4.2010 von Daniel Sasse.

A scientific expedition has discovered the world’s deepest undersea volcanic vents, known as “black smokers”, 3.1 miles (5000 metres) deep in the Cayman Trough in the Caribbean. The team are posting daily updates on their expedition website at http://www.thesearethevoyages.net including photos and videos from their research ship.

Share

Geschrieben in Tauchen | 1 Kommentar »

Haischutz adé? (22.03.2010) China, Japan sowie Russland verweigerten sich dem Haischutzantrag

24.3.2010 von Daniel Sasse.

Es ist wie eine Achterbahnfahrt: kaum hat mein einen Berg erklommen, geht es wieder mit rasanter Fahrt hinab in die Abgründe. Genauso stellen sich derzeit die Bemühungen dar, eine Katastrophe in den Weltmeeren abzuwenden und endlich, buchstäblich in letzter Minute, den Haibestand zu schützen. Als am 9. März die Malediven sich zum 1. Juli als Haischutzzone erklärten, war ein wichtiges Etappenziel im Haischutz erreicht.

Bis zum 25. März findet in Doha / Katar die 15. Vertragstaatenkonferenz zum Washingtoner Artenschutzübereinkommen (CITES) statt. Und hier gab es gestern eine Schlappe für den internationalen Hai- und Artenschutzschutz, die so nicht eingeplant und erwartet worden war. Sie wird dazu führen, dass die Bemühungen der internationalen Haischutzorganisationen und hunderttausender engagierten Sporttaucher um Jahre zurück geworfen werden! Überraschend verpasste die von der EU und den Vereinigten Staaten unterstützte Initiative nach mehr Transparenz beim Fang und Handel von Haien und Haiprodukten, sowie die Agenda zum Schutz der Blauflossen Thunas die notwendige Zweidrittelmehrheit. China, Japan sowie Russland verweigerten sich dem Haischutzantrag und auch Staaten wie Libyen und Marokko zogen nicht mit, weil sie Probleme für die einheimische Fischindustrie befürchten.

Die internationale Konferenz, an der insgesamt 175 Staaten teilnehmen läuft noch bis zum 25. März. Und auch für den Schutz der drastisch zurückgegangenen Blauflossen-Thunfische hat sich keine Mehrheit gefunden. Japan hat auch in diesem Punkt seine harte Ablehnung signalisiert und hat, u.a. mit der Unterstützung durch China, auch diesen wichtigen Punkt der Agenda zum Flop für den Artenschutz werden lassen.

Mit der Haischutz-Erklärung der Malediven, die bewusst wenige Tage vor Beginn der Konferenz auch ein Zeichen setzen sollte, war zunächst ein leichtes Aufatmen durch die Reihen den engagierten Haischützer und durch die Reihen der Sporttaucher gegangen.

Ibrahim Didi, Fischerei- und Landwirtschaftsminister der Malediven hatte verkündet, dass die Malediven sich nach Palau als zweiter Staat entschlossen haben, ab 1. Juli sein Staatsgebiet zur Haischutzzone zu erklären und jede Form von Haifischerei und -Finning zu untersagen. Neben Palau haben also inzwischen auch die Malediven erkannt, dass mit dem Zusammenbruch der Haibestände nicht nur das gesamte ökologische System in Gefahr gerät, sondern dass die Haie gerade auch für die Attraktivität der Tauchgebiete für Sporttaucher von großer Bedeutung sind. Und für beide Destinationen, Palau und Malediven, sind Sporttaucher eine wichtige Zielgruppe im Tourismusgeschäft.

Leider war die Erkenntnis und das Bekenntnis zum Haischutz auch erst nach jahrelangen, teils massiven Protesten von Haischutzorganisationen mit der Unterstützung hunderttausender Sporttaucher „gereift“. Behilflich war bei diesem Erkenntnisprozess sicherlich auch das Ergebnis der Studie eines Forscherteams der australischen James Cook Universität in Townsville/Queensland, die nicht nur das Great Barrier Reef vor der Haustür hat, sondern auch feststellte, dass rein ökonomisch betrachtet ein grauer Riffhai für die Tourismusindustrie einen Wert von rund 2500 € pro Jahr hat, während ein Fischer für einen zur Strecke gebrachten Hai nur einmalig wenig mehr als 23 € bekommt. Also auch in diesem Fall scheinen ökonomische Kalkulationen und nicht allein menschliche Vernunft das Kernargument für die vernünftige Lösung gewesen zu sein. Doch was nützen zarte Fortschritte wie in Palau und auf den Malediven, wenn sich anderenorts Nationen, wie nun in Katar geschehen, mit Brachialgewalt und unter Missachtung aller Warnungen und wissenschaftlicher Erkenntnisse über ökologische und ethische Erkenntnisse hinwegsetzen und sich als Lobbyisten wirtschaftlicher Interessen bloßstellen. Bleibt zum Abschluss dieser Meldung nur noch ein Zitat von Bertold Brecht anzuhängen:

Sie sägten ab die Äste, auf denen sie saßen
und schrien sich zu ihre Erfahrungen,
wie man schneller sägen könnte, und fuhren
mit Krachen in die Tiefe. Und die ihnen zusahen,
schüttelten die Köpfe beim Sägen und
sägten weiter.

 

Share

Geschrieben in Umwelt und Marine Schutz, Poseidon, Tauchen | 1 Kommentar »

Our new Chat Room from Poseidon

17.3.2010 von Daniel Sasse.

[ Copy this | Start New | Full Size ]
Share

Geschrieben in Poseidon | Keine Kommentare »

Poseidon Dive Center on Facebook

17.3.2010 von Daniel Sasse.

Poseidon Dive Academy is on Facebook! “Become a fan” so you can see our updates and news in your Status feed!

Poseidon Dive Center on Facebook

Geschrieben in Poseidon, Tauchen | Keine Kommentare »