Browsing: Marine Life

Environmental organisation WWF-New Zealand, today cautiously welcomed the Ministry for Primary Industries’ new draft squid fishing plan and called for precautionary action to save the New Zealand sea lion. The ‘Squid 6T Operational Plan’, released today for consultation regulates trawling for squid around the Auckland Islands, home to the most important breeding colony of this endangered species.

Each year, hundreds of whales and dolphins strand on our shores. Whilst some are sick or injured, others are healthy and just need a helping hand back out to sea. But saving whales isn’t as easy as it looks and successful rescue often depends on properly trained volunteers. That’s where you come in.

Shellfish are often on plates in our homes and in restaurants. Many of these are bivalves – clams, oysters, mussels, abalone, and scallops. Think of how difficult it is to get to the tasty meat of some of these animals. Over millions of years, the bivalves evolved formidable defenses in their hard shells

The recent stranding (June 2016) of two false killer whales at Waimairi Beach, Christchurch was a rare event. The first stranding in eleven years and only the third ever South Island stranding, the last one being in 1984. For many people it was also the first time they have heard about these charismatic whales.