Fighting Species Endangerment - Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

Many more species of animals and plants are endangered than the general public realizes. Lists of the most endangered are compiled regularly for many nation of the world and for each of the individual United States.

In the State of Ohio during 2009, 23 animal species were listed as endangered, many on the federal level.

During 4th Quarter 2009, additional animals were to be added as well, to bring the total closer to 50 species. This will likely encompass black bears, bobcats, several additional birds, many additional fish and clams, and additional insects and reptiles. Those animals most endangered on the federal level for most of 2009 are in bold print in the following list:

1. Indiana Bat
2. Amercian Burying Beetle
3. Karner Blue Butterfly
4. Mitchell's Satyr Butterfly
5. Catspaw Mussel
6. White Catspaw Mussel
7. Clubshell Clam
8. Hine's Emerald Dragonfly
9. Bald Eagle
10. Fanshell Clam
11. Rabbitsfoot Clam
12. Rayed Bean Clam
13. Sheepnose Clam
14. Scioto Madtom (fish)
15. Pink Mucket Clam
16. Piping Plover, Great Lakes
17. Piping Plover, other
18. Eastern Puma (cougar)
19. Northern Riffleshell
20. Copperbelly Snake
21. Eastern Massasauga Snake
22. Lake Erie Water Snake - Fewer sightings of this species were recorded form 2002 - 2008 than for any other endangered species in Ohio.
23. Whooping Crane

At the same time, Ohio has a problem with the proliferation of Zebra Mussels that crowd out other life forms - especially local clams and mussels - in Lake Erie and do structural damage in the area. From time to time, Ohio has also been overpopulated by deer.

Protecting species from extinction can sometimes be tricky in terms of balance. For instance, in the 1980s in an area of New Jersey, geese were protected because their numbers decreased quickly and were threatened by other species and hunting. After a few years of protection, they had proliferated and eaten all the local vegetation down to the dirt; this facilitated erosion that harmed other animals and plants.

Despite problems and projects of conservation in Ohio and the rest of the world, one of the most endangered groups of animals is comprised by whales. One whale species includes only 300 across the entire planet as of 2009, and some are so scare as to not be readily counted at all.

Around the world, we have heard the call "Save the Whales" since the 1970s. This problem was showcased in Star Trek® IV: The Voyage Home in 1986 and whales continue to be one of the most endangered species on earth in 2010. Several organizations have been founded to protect and promote the lives of whales of all varieties. One of the most aggressive is the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

Endangered or Depleted Whale Species

(2009, per Seaworld)

• Atlantic Humpbacked Dolphin - Depleted
• Baiji
• Blue Whale – Largest Mammal On Earth.
• Boto – Declining significantly
• Bowhead Whale
• Fin Whale
• Franciscana – Depleted
• Ganges Susu – Depleted
• Hector's Dolphin - Depleted
• Humpback Whale
• Indo-Pacific Humpbacked Dolphin – Likely depleted
• Indus Susu
• Northern Right Whale
• Sei Whale
• Southern Right Whale
• Sperm Whale
• Tucuxi – Depleted
• Vaquita

In September 2008, The Independent in the UK reported these five species as most endangered of all whale:

1. North Atlantic Right Whale
2. Western Pacific Grey Whale
3. Bowhead
4. Narwhal
5. Cook Inlet Beluga Whales

On the other hand, Sea Shepherd feels that the whales in the Southern Hemisphere in the Southern Ocean are most needing of help.

Whales that live in the Southern Ocean are of the following species and nearly all of them are endangered or depleted:

• Blue Whale
• Fin (or Razorback)
• Humpback
• Minke - Harvested heavily every year by Japanese vessels under what many considered a loophole in 1988 laws that permit research. RESEARCH in large white letters is printed on each of these vessels.
• Orca - Not endangered.
• Southern Right - May be the smallest populated of southern species.
• Sei
• Sperm

During Segregation and the beginnings of the Civil Rights Era in America, a pastor in place before the renowned Martin Luther King Jr. stepped up was making news in this field. The Reverend Vernon Johns (1892 - 1965) is reported to have said, "If you see a good fight, get in it." He might support Sea Shepherd today, at any rate their willingness to fight for a good cause. Reverend Johns believed in nonviolent means, while critics of Sea Shepherd allude to the organization as a form of terrorist group.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society attracted global attention in 2008 - 2009 with its Cable TV show Whale Wars on the Discovery Channel. Episodes depict their campaign against the over-fishing of whales by Japanese organizations in the South Ocean of Antarctica. The SSCS also champions fish that are over culled, dolphins netted in tuna catches, and seals inhumanely slaughtered for fur.

According to the Sea Shepherd, while the Japanese maintain that they are culling only an appropriate number of whales for necessary research, the actual numbers caught and often brutally killed appear 1) excessive and 2) applied toward commercial gain instead of research. Footage on Whale Wars shows whales in the Southern Ocean sliced to shreds by inhumane hunting techniques and bleeding out into the waters.

January, 2009

Paul Watson and crew protested in front of the Japanese Consulate in New Zealand about illegal slaughtering whales in the Southern Ocean whale sanctuary. They are incensed at the seeming inaction of Japanese, Australian and New Zealand governments to act on this. Further, Sea Shepherd filed a formal complaint of piracy Netherlands two days ago against the captain and crew of a Japanese whaling vessel that collided with one of the SSCS ships.

Newly released video footage backs the Sea Shepherd's case that the Japanese ship attacked their small open boat Ady Gil.

News.australia.com reports: "[Acting Australian Priome Minister] Julia Gillard is the only politician who has had the courage to say something about the illegal activities Japan has undertaken; the rest of them are hiding behind Japan's kimonos as far as I can see," Mr Watson said.

Money donations have come "pouring in" to help replace the Ady Gil, since ad advertisement of the plight of Sea Shepherd was aied, starring Transformers star Isabel Lucas.

The most enraging factor for critics may be that Captain Paul Watson enlists the aid of the media in a number of ways and gets it.

The SSCS is a non-profit group headquartered in Washington State's Friday Harbor. Its members are directly confrontational toward acts of animal abuse and poaching and the team goes out in search of these events. It has sailed several ships for this purpose and its most active currently are the Steve Irwin and the Bob Barker. Steve Irwin, operator with wife Terri of Australia Zoo until his accidental death on Labor Day 2006, had been examining the possibility of joining efforts with Sea Shepherd to help save whales. After his death, one of the SSCS was renamed in his honor. Long time TV host Bob Barker donated $5,000,000 to purchase the ship that was then named after him.

Mr. Paul Watson founded Sea Shepherd in 1977, having been a member of Greenpeace and active - aggressive active - in conservation.  He gains financial support from corporations, the lecture circuit, celebrities and financial grants, along with written recognition from the Dalai Lama. Crew members are volunteers. In footage from Whale Wars, Mr. Watson states that he wants people that want to be there, not those dependent on a paycheck. Less than 10% of total revenues are applied to a small personnel payroll. Captain, crew, and celebrities that ride along and protest beside Sea Shepherd deeply believe in their mission to save wildlife and sometimes incur arrest from local constabulary and physical assault and injury from fishermen, sealers, and poachers. As of 2010, they have been so doing for 33 years.

While outside agencies call their tactics too violent, candid shots of the Sea Shepherd crew on board the Steve Irwin have shown them crying after seeing whales they tried to save killed at sea by Japanese fishermen. SSCS maintains that they must be aggressive against species endangerment and the broken international treaties that were written to protect wildlife. Certain species of whales are particularly endangered and without action to prevent their extinction, the Earth will lose them.

If you are not yet a member of HubPages, maybe you's like to join, because it's FREE and you can join HERE with just a few clicks fo the mouse.