The European Comission has today confirmed that it will back the proposal to list Atlantic and Mediterranean Bluefin Tuna on Appendix 1 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

This is the latest support that the EU has given to measures for protecting fast collapsing fish stocks in many seas. These measures are unfortunately often too late and of course upset those in the fishing industry who accuse those who wish to protect fish as destroying their way of life. It would seem that if these fish are not protected, at least for a while, these fishermen's way of life will be forever destroyed anyway.

Predictably Japan has protested against the possibility of listing tuna as an endangered species as it would make trading of the fish illegal. Japan has a histroy of flouting and/or ignoring international bans on whaling and catching of certain fish species.

I am all for scientific progress, particularly when it can be used to further the aims of conservation but a recent article on the discovery of a new species of bulbul in Laos made me wonder if scientists don't need to take a leap into the modern world.


A number of "specimens" were taken from the wild in Laos. Specimens means that birds were captured from the wild and killed to be put in an ornithological collection. The arguement for this is to have something to refer back to in future but with excellent photographical technology, DNA analysis possible from small feather samples it seems to me that the only reason to continue collecting specimens is that this is the way it has always been done. Well, if scientists always went with the way things have always been done very little progress would be made.

You don't need to be a genius to realise that I am not in favour of the killing of these birds, particularly when the population size and distribution is unknown.

The above photograph was taken by Stijn De Win who managed to bring the existence of this bird to the world without killing any of them! Okay, so he didn't manage to record all the biometrics of this bird using this method but photographs of the birds in the hand alongside feather samples would have done just as well as dead birds in my opinion.

I would recommend reading Stijn's report, it is much more readable than the official one: Laos’ Khammouane Bulbul, a new bird species from Laos. -by Stijn De Win / Birding2asia ©

Few people can have failed to hear of climate change and the effect it will have on sea levels, climate patterns and agriculture, but spare a thought for those poor old penguins who are being cheated out of their icy home.

In actuality not all penguins live in icy habitats, although they do all occur in the southern ocean, but nevertheless they all need a hand from conservation minded people. Issues that affect penguins include habitat loss, hunting, entanglement in fishing nets and oiling.

Fortunately there are a number of charities involved in penguin conservation and you can support them through the ever popular method of adoption.

Here is a list of organisations that I found on the internet that offer penguin adoption:

1. World Wildlife Fund - adopt an Emperor penguin from $25.

2.World Wildlife Fund - Adopt a Rockhopper Penguin, from $25.

3. Defenders of Wildlife - Adopt a Penguin and support conservation work, from $25.

4. Seabirds.org - Adopt and name a Magellanic Penguin and help protect its nest burrow, for $49.

5. Falklands Conservation - Adopt a King Penguin on East Falkland, for £25.

6. Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds - Adopt an African Penguin and pay for its treatment and rehabilitation, for R500.

7. Oamaru Blue penguin Colony - Adopt a Little Blue Penguin in New Zealand and help protect its nest, from NZ$40.

8. Penguin Foundation, Phillip Island - Adopt a Little Blue Penguin in Phillip Island, Australia for AS$75.


You can read about more animal adoption schemes here: Adopt Wild Animals.

There are many people who support conservation in principal but are not sufficiently motivated to participate themselves or to question polititians about what they are doing. A number of conservation bodies of a variety of types have come up with a way in which these people are able to actively support conservation; by adopting an animal. In these schemes, one does not actually take an animal into ones home like an adopted child, rather a payment is made to the conservation charity who then send information about the adopted animal and usually supply regular updates. the money they recieve for this goes directly towards the conservation of this particualr animal and the organistaion's conservation work in general. I have made a page on Squidoo.com listing a large number of available animal adoptions for conservation: Adopt Animals for Conservation.

Please take a look at this list and see if there is an animal or charity that you would consider supporting.