Daily Archives: December 29, 2024
On horseback to fish for shrimp: Preserving one of Belgium’s oldest traditions
The image of the fisherman Stefaan Hancke on the back of his mare Dina as the latter dodges the first waves with her legs raised, strained by the effort of dragging fishing nets along the sand with a chain that vibrates so that the shrimp jump and get caught, pulling a total weight of around 3,000 kilos (6,600 lb), advancing parallel to the coastline with water up to the animal’s chest, is one that is fixed in memory, as with some of the flavors of childhood. In 2013, UNESCO recognized shrimp fishing on horseback in Oostduinkerke as part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage. It is a tradition that is still maintained by a community of 12 families in this Belgian village on the North Sea coast. Photos, links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:46
Multiple restaurants found mislabeling Gulf shrimp | So why do they remain anonymous?
Shrimp and seafood lovers in and around Louisiana and the Gulf Coast may have seen a recent report from SeaD Consulting, a company that does genetic testing of seafood, monitoring for mislabeling and substitution fraud in the industry. In the first in a series of investigations across the state, the company sampled menu items at 24 restaurants in Baton Rouge, discovering that more than one in four dishes sampled were misrepresented. A new law taking effect January 1 will require Louisiana restaurants to clearly state the country of origin of the shrimp and crawfish they sell. If found in violation, restaurants could face thousands of dollars in fines. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:43
Humpback Whale Washes Up on Boston’s South Shore, Sparking Further Alarm Over Rising Whale Deaths
A young female humpback whale was found stranded and deceased on Rexhame Beach in Marshfield, MA the day after Christmas, raising concerns over a surge in whale deaths along the Atlantic coastline. The Christmas stranding marks the sixth large whale death in WDC’s response zone since July. This alarming streak began with a humpback whale carcass floating off the Massachusetts coast and continued with three minke whale strandings in August and September. December alone has seen two other young humpback whales stranded in the area. These strandings are part of a larger crisis. Since 2016, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has been investigating what it calls an “unusual mortality event” impacting humpbacks, minkes, and endangered right whales along the Atlantic coast from Maine to Florida. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:52
Biden’s missed chance to safeguard America’s oceans
Among President Biden’s many laudable environmental accomplishments, one of his historic failures is that he declined to protect America’s ocean ecosystems. Despite the president’s professed goal to protect 30 percent of America’s oceans by 2030, he did virtually none of this. Perhaps he was planning on a second term (obviously a bad gamble), or perhaps he never really intended to do any of this. Regardless, the hope and optimism for ocean protection at the beginning of the Biden administration has, in the end, turned to profound disappointment. On this issue, the administration prioritized local politics over science, need and national interest. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:29
