Author: momah

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Endangered Species

The Maritime Executive. (March 7, 2020) “U.S. Government Expands Mexican Ban to Save the Vaquita” Retrieved March 8, 2020 https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/u-s-government-expands-mexican-seafood-ban-to-save-vaquita

 

The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) obligates that the United States ban the importation of seafood that uses fishing gear that kills marine life beyond the national standard. Recently, under this act the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service declared an embargo on Mexican seafood originating from the habitat of vaquita porpoise. The endangerment of the vaquita porpoise began in the 1990s and has only worsened since then. Now, with the expansion of the use of gill nets to fish in the Gulf of Mexico and the northern Gulf of California, the species native habitat, it is estimated that there are only 10 of these porpoises remaining. The ban expands across various species such as anchovies, herrings, sardines, mackrols, shrimp, and other profitable seafood. An American committee under the international agreement CITES is investigating further trade penalties for Mexico in the future if the illegal practice of using gillnets continues. 

 

Although the Mexican government won’t take action, this importation ban is a good first step in working towards eliminating such dangerous fishing practices that lead to the vaquita’s endangerment in the first place. By decreasing American demand, United States conservationists will hopefully encourage the Mexican government to take more action against the species’ extinction in which eventually they can continue trading with the United States. This situation is a good example of the the issues caused by countries that won’t cooperate with international conservation efforts. I do think however that the United States response was appropriate in opposing such practices as the seafood industry in Mexico is essential to its economy. 

 

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Endangered Species

Deseret News. (February 10, 2020), “Guest Opinion: Positive changes to the Endangered Species Act” Retrieved March 8, 2020

https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2020/2/10/21124993/endangered-species-act-esa-australia

 

Recently, the Congressional Western Caucus discussed possible changes to the Endangered Species Act that would help encourage cooperation between local efforts to conserve native species and the federal agencies. Officials suggest that the framework of the Endangered Species Act could be more effective with more collaboration between the federal government and local governments as well as local tribes. In the past, local governments have proven to be more productive with their accurate knowledge of the native species as well as their connections with local organizations for creating potential partnerships. The changes made to the Endangered Species Act would provide incentives to local farmers and ranchers to help protect endangered species of the area.  

It’s always good to see the local government not only recognizing local Native American tribes but also reaching out for their input. In the past projects led by Native American groups have been extremely successful such as the wildlife crossing corridors considering the wide range of knowledge about nature that comes from Native American culture. Although it is upsetting that environmental efforts are often forced to provide incentives to see action, incentives can sometimes be the most effective method. Many Americans, specifically business leaders, prioritize profit over their environmental impacts therefore at times it can be challenging to get participation from such groups. For ranchers their entire livelihood depends upon their work thus most ranchers are unable to make major sacrifices on behalf of endangered species however incentives provide a solution to this problem. 

 

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Endangered Species

National Geographic. (March 3, 2020) “How the U.S. is inadvertently facilitating shark fin smuggling” Received March 3, 2020

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/02/united-states-facilitating-shark-fin-trade-south-america-asia/

 

Despite the small demand for shark fins in the United States, American cargo planes have unknowingly been transporting shark fins across the world. The shark fin trade is an extremely illegal business that threatens various different shark species that are close to extinction such as the hammerhead shark, silky shark, and thresher shark. The sharks often targeted for this trade have a very low reproduction rate; some sharks don’t even begin the reproductive process until the age of 150. Because shark meat is far less valuable than the shark fins, most shark fin hunters merely cut the fins off the sharks and release them back into the ocean until the sharks die from blood loss or are eaten by another predator. Most of the fins are directed towards East Asia making American planes the perfect transportation system allowing the goods to move quickly from various South American countries to Asia. The fins are used in several traditional asian dishes and as the hunt for shark fins became illegal globally, the shark fin trade is estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

The article describes the difficult situation that the shark fin trade puts the United States in as it is unintentionally providing its global transportation. There definitely needs to be stricter regulations about the shark fin trade in the South American countries that these sharks are being hunted in. While there are already very strict regulations on the shark fin trade in the United States, at times it can be very difficult for The Fish and Wildlife Services inspectors and customs to detect the shark fins in cases when the smugglers incorrectly label the illegal shipment as other goods. By allowing the shark fins to pass through the border, the United States is only perpetuating the success of the trade. Therefore it’s important that the U.S. applies its strong legal framework about the exportation of endangered species to more strictly monitor the goods passing through the border. As the shark fin trade only becomes a worse problem for endangered shark species, officials should look towards more thorough inspections of cargo that is believed to be correlated to the shark fin trade. 

 

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Endangered Species

Sierra Club. (February 18, 2020) “Endangered Species Are Casualties of Trump’s Border Wall”

https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/endangered-species-are-casualties-trump-s-border-wall Retrieved March 2, 2020

 

Scientists fear that the construction of President Donald Trump’s border wall between the Southwestern States and Mexico could pose a threat to wildlife and cause severe damage to one of the most biodiverse deserts in North America. With the border before the Trump administration, both the native wildlife and rainfall could easily pass through however with Trump’s idea of a wall only very small animals like mice are expected to be able to cross through. The teams of bulldozers that have crossed along the border to clear more space for the wall have destroyed hundreds of native plants. The species that scientists predict will suffer the most are Mexican grey wolves, saguaro cactuses, jaguars, ocelots, peninsular bighorn sheep, and a few aquatic species. Many of the species, like the Mexican grey wolf and the wildcats of the region, have already had issues with endangerment before and only until recently has there been successful efforts to rebuild the population. Because of this, very few of the threatened species can afford to face habitat fragmentation on such a large scale.

 

The article truly calls attention to how little our current president cares about the United States’ environmental impact on the world. After withdrawing the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement, Trump has made minimal efforts to reduce the country’s impact on climate change. Furthermore, the article’s contents connects to how environmental issues have become more of a political debate, specifically in the United States, rather than a uniting issue for our country. While other countries such as Germany have been able to come together on behalf of combating climate change, such issues continue to be polarizing for the U.S.. Trump continues to look past actions that have worked to preserve various endangered species in order to further his policies even if it calls for the extinction of an entire species’ population.

 

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Endangered Species

Business Wire. (March 2, 2020) “Herbal Essences Announces Commitment to Help Mitigate Biodiversity Loss” Retrieved March 2, 2020

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200302005123/en/

The company Herbal Essence recently announced their partnership with the Royal Botanic Gardens in attempt to save 20 critically endangered species. Without the help of Herbal Essence, these plant species are predicted to become extinct within the next year. The hair product brand plans on working with various other organizations in California to try and preserve the plants’ seeds as well as working on preventing further habitat destruction in the places the plants are native to. The company is also participating in an hour long panel discussion along with the World Wildlife Fund to debate various solutions in mitigating plant extinction. The company hopes that through their project they can raise awareness about species extinction and inspire action among their customers to combat climate change. 

This article really highlighted the importance of plant life which oftentimes is ignored in discussions about species extinction. Plant biodiversity is an extremely important issue as it is what sustains all other living organisms and without such biodiversity problems within larger-scale ecosystems can occur. On a different note, it was also really great to see a big company such as Herbal Essence take a stand against climate change past just practicing environmentally safe production methods. I would not expect such a large company, more specifically a shampoo company, to prioritize their environmental impact to this extent however it is good to see a company using natural ingredients also working to preserve nature itself. 

 

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Can the long-lost abalone make a comeback in California?

Los Angeles Times. (November 7, 2019) “Can the long-lost abalone make a comeback in California?” Retrieved November 10, 2019, 

https://www.latimes.com/projects/california-abalone-species-recovery/

The abalone shells used to be extremely populous along in the California coast throughout the nineteenth and twentieth century however with increased ocean acidification and overfishing it’s numbers dwindled. Before their near extinction, the abalone was a major aspect of California culture, more specifically Mexican and Native-American culture in which the shells were used for art and trading. By the time environmentalists were able to pass any significant regulations about hunting the organisms in opposition to the hundreds of abalone-fishermen who were financially dependent on these creatures, the population was already too low to recover. Scientists are currently working to raise the extremely sensitive organisms in captivity in hopes of reintroducing it into California waters. Over the past few years they have been practicing raising and releasing the abalone into the wild to ultimately restore the whole ecosystem.

This article was definitely an example of a great success story for environmental science and more specifically for endangered species. I was surprised to hear how advanced the systems of breeding for abalone were as projects like this one generally seem to have difficulty getting funding. Although scientists have been successful in somewhat repopulating the coasts with abalone, they still face the challenge of their dying food source; the kelp forests in which the growth has been stunted with the sudden increase of water pollution. With the amount of financial aid that the biologists have received so far, hopefully in the future there can be more effort towards restoring the kelp forests partnered with stricter regulations about water pollution. 

 

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Federal Government Endangered Species Act Revisions Means More Water to Central Valley Growers

 

California Globe. (October 28, 2019) “Federal Government Endangered Species Act Revisions Means More Water to Central Valley Growers” Retrieved November 5, 2019, 

https://californiaglobe.com/section-2/federal-government-endangered-species-act-revisions-means-more-water-to-central-valley-growers/

In recent years as Obama left presidential office to be replaced by Trump, the new administration has added new more laid-back changes to the Endangered Species Act. In response to Trump’s attempt to dismantle the Endangered Species Act, California governor Gavin Newsom swiftly passed the Senate 1 Bill allowing “private citizens to enforce state standards” in the case that the federal government take action to decrease the predetermined state standards for the safety of the local ecosystems and biodiveristy. In the case of the smelt, the new bill permits the state to continue pushing water into the bay rather than going off course for agricultural reasons. With the new legal changes, the federal government hopes to prioritize local economies over a lot of threatened species that they believe to be generally just “under pressure” as well as changing the definition of what they considered to be a threatened species. 

As we discussed in class, the delta smelt and the other organisms that will be affected by the new regulations under the ESA are important to the ecosystem and more than just creatures. The smelt for instance are vital indicator species that signify the health of the body of water as well as a critical aspect of the food chain and without could lead to a decline in other species’ populations. Although many people’s livelihoods depend on these waterways that are changed by the migration patterns of the smelt, situations like these reflect on the importance of compromises when it comes to environmental issues and the social or economic effects that regulations may have. Despite the biases of this articles mostly favoring Trump’s new rulings, it was interesting to hear another perspective describe the situation in California although the articles seemed to disclude many important details about the species it affects like the smelt.

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Protections for 4-inch California gnatcatcher hinder plans for Palos Verdes housing development

The Beach Reporter. (November 6, 2019) “Protections for 4-inch California gnatcatcher hinder plans for Palos Verdes housing development” Retrieved November 7, 2019,

http://tbrnews.com/news/protections-for–inch-california-gnatcatcher-hinder-plans-for-palos/article_b2cad262-0007-11ea-8faa-1f6b80b39fef.html

As Jim York, a wealthy Californian landowner, prepared to build his newest addition to his property environmental scientists worked to use the law to stop him. Because the Calfironia gnatcatcher has been on the California Endangered Species List for the past 25 years, since then residents have been facing difficulties when trying to add more developments to their homes. York’s property specifically runs through a conservation site that protects the gnatcatcher so for the past two decades he has been unable to make major changes to his property. This situation inspired the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to devise a plan that would “balance development with conservation”. The Natural Community Conservation Plan or the Habitat Conservation Plan helps property owners like York get legal permits for construction in environmentally-sensitive areas specifically bordering conservation sites. Although the new statewide plan will hopefully change the way developers plan for construction while keeping wildlife in mind, Jim York still rejects the idea that the birds have an ecological value significant enough to hinder his right to build on private property. 

This article shed light on the importance of compromising when it comes to development and the environment. I think it’s interesting how it acknowledged that some environmental efforts are unrealistic however it is always important for people to remember what impact they have on the world. The Natural Community Conservation Plan is a big step forward for the state of California in ensuring the safety of particular endangered species populations. On the other hand, the article exemplified how a large portion of the population is uneducated about the importance of protecting endangered species. People like York don’t always immediately view species like the gnatcatcher as more than a bird and understand the impact of its role in the ecosystem. It reinforces the need for education worldwide to all citizens about the importance of sustainability and living an environmentally-friendly lifestyle. 

 

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California must act to protect mountain lions

Cal Matters. (October 9, 2019) “California must act to protect mountain lions” Retrieved November 5, 2019, 

https://calmatters.org/commentary/cougar-protection/

The organization Center for Biological Diversity is petitioning for state officials to put mountain lions on the California Endangered Species Act with the steady decrease in population specifically due to vehicle hits. The southern and central coast cougars are estimated to go completely extinct in the region within the next few decades without immediate federal protections. The ever-growing infrastructure in California has led to significant habitat fragmentation among different native species like the mountain lion and has taken a toll on the state’s biodiversity as a whole. The cougars are important to controlling the deer population within California and in turn helping to reduce overgrazing as well as mitigating California’s tick problem on the deer population. 

The article suggested the possibility of constructing a wildlife crossing bridge across the freeways than have affected the lion population. As with similar other environmental projects, the issue with this plant seems to be the lack of funding that the organization is recieving. In general, there needs to be more public funding or tax dollars towards environmental issues, maybe not specifically the bridge, as it is not just an issue that certain groups should advocate for because in reality it affects everyone in some way or another. Mountain lions are a prime example of a species that have huge impacts on other wildlife as well as helping to improve general public safety. It’s important to maintain a biodiverse ecosystem with a large richness of species and an evenly-distributed population of species. Not only will saving the coastal cougar help Calfironia’s biodiversity by protecting an endangered species, but it will also preserve the numerous of other species that are affected by the mountain lions. 

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California Joshua Tree Needs Endangered Species Protection, Conservationists Petition State

NBC Universal. (October 15, 2019) “California Joshua Tree Needs Endangered Species Protection, Conservationists Petition State” Retrieved November 4, 2019

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Joshua-Trees-endangered-species-563162731.html

Environmentalists in California are currently working to get the Joshua Tree, famous for its spiked leaves, protection under the California Endangered Species Act and recognized within the state as a “threatened” species. The species population has been noticeably shrinking with the increase of habitat destruction from power and pipeline projects as well as the impacts of climate change. With the drier conditions from the California drought and increased temperatures, the Joshua tree saplings are having more difficulty surviving into adulthood. The species have begun to migrate to the more mountainous regions for wetter and cooler conditions however have been unable to successfully colonize with the invasive grass species in the area that cause recurring wildfires. The trees are native to southern California and can be most prominently found in the Mojave Desert and California’s Joshua Tree Park. The groups are still waiting to receive votes on whether or not to include the tree on the threatened species list from the Department of Fish and Wildlife which can take up to three months to consider. 

It’s unfortunate to hear about such a famous California-native species like the Joshua Tree is on the edge of endangerment. As these trees are so populous in the California-Nevada border it is concerning of what impacts from extinction could occur on the ecosystems in those regions. Not only do these trees have a huge ecological impact but also their aesthetic value can be seen at the Joshua Tree National Park that is home to hundreds of other organisms that rely on the species. I think it could be beneficial for the government to take more action towards setting regulations around the infrastructural projects that are responsible for much of the Joshua tree’s habitat fragmentation. There are many similar stories to the Joshua tree telling of groups trying to save species after significant damage has been done to the population however I think it is important for the government to better foresee projects that could endanger threatened species.