Pennsylvania Semi-automatic Rifle Hunting Law

By: Zack Good

 

On November 21, 2016 Governor Tom Wolf singed the Act 168 of 2016. This allows semi-automatic rifles for hunting, and gave the Pennsylvania Game Commission the authority to regulate the use if passed by the board of commissioners. After this occurrence the PGC board of commissioners passed the proposal at their quarterly meeting on January 31 2017. In order to finalize the regulations there will be another meeting March 27-28.

 

Pennsylvania is the 49^th state to allow semi-automatic rifles for hunting use. With this semi-automatic law the firearms would be able to be used on big game, small game, varmints and furbearers. The maximum rounds that is allowed to be used is six, this would be five in the magazine and one in the chamber. Prior to passing this law the PGC stated that they have looked over hunting safety in other states, and it is believed that semi-automatic rifles have no correlation with increasing hunting accidents.

 

These semi-automatic rifles are not machine guns as many people seem to think of when they see or hear about the weapons. In order to set off every shot the trigger is pulled, the gun just ejects the shell without the user needing to do so. Semi-auto shotguns are already legal in the state for small game and water fowl. This did not show any increased harm to the animals, but more of a way to accurately have a follow up shot if needed. The final regulations have not been set yet, there is still the subject of what caliber will be allowed for big game, in order for a quick kill. For example the caliber .223 would not be permitted for hunting game, it would most likely just wound the animal. The caliber most likely to be used is the 7.62 mm which is around the same as the .308. As for big game hunters would need to pick up a semi-automatic weapon like the Remington 700 or the Browning .308.

 

If anything allowing the use of semi-automatic rifles would result in a more humane hunt in many ways. When a second shot was needed it would make it so a hunter could keep their eyes on the target without having to manually eject the bullet. In many instances a hunter using a rifle where you have to manually eject and chamber a bullet, the shooter looks away to put in the next cartridge. Looking away could cause a second shot to be inaccurate and have the possibility of a bad shot on the animals being the result. Yes it is true the most hunters want their first shot to be the good one, but it would be great to have a greater probability of an accurate second shot. When it comes to older hunters who may struggle with manually ejecting the cartridge it might make the shooting process go a lot more smoothly for them. Along with that the rifles actually have less of a recoil, and this makes it so you can keep your eyes on the scope or sites if another shot is needed.

 

In many ways I can understand the concerns when it comes to opposing semi-automatic rifles being used for hunting game. It probably comes to thought of people just recklessly firing off shots, increasing chances of injuring animals and other hunters. To most if not all hunters’ safety of each other and the game they are pursuing is important. Many people may not like this change and prefer more traditional hunting, but these weapons are efficient and can be a great thing.
 

  If all things are taken into consideration and looked at the use of these weapons for small and big game can be a very beneficial addition to hunting in our state. As for not only this but anything new that occurs it is a process and there will be changes made based on events that occur during the season. Whether those events are good or bad, I can not 100 percent say. Based on everything being looked at I can say that the pros outweigh the cons. This whole thing still needs to be finalized at the end of March and I am hoping to see proper regulations made to make semi-automatic rifles a safe and prosperous addition to the sport of hunting in our state.

 

References

Hayes, John. “New Pennsylvania law gives hunters the option for semiautomatics.” Pittsburgh Post Gazette, 27 Nov 2016. http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/outdoors/2016/11/27/New-Pennsylvania-law-gives-hunters-the-option-for-semiautomatics/stories/201611270139. Accessed 2 March 2017.

NRA-ILA. “Pennsylvania: Game Commission Unanimously Approves Proposed Rulemaking for New Semi-Auto Rifle Hunting Law.” 1 Feb. 2017. https://www.nraila.org/articles/20170201/pennsylvania-game-commission-unanimously-approves-proposed-rulemaking-for-new-semi-auto-rifle-hunting-law. Accessed 2 March 2017.

https://www.nraila.org/articles/20170127/pennsylvania-please-attend-meeting-concerning-proposed-rulemaking-for-the-new-semi-auto-rifle-hunting-law.

Signorini, Renatta. “Pa game board devising rules to allow semi-automatic weapons.” Trib Live, 2 Dec 2016. http://triblive.com/local/westmoreland/11538937-74/automatic-semi-board. Accessed 2 March 2017.

WHTM Staff. “Pennsylvania Game Commission moving forward with semi-automatic rifle use.” Abc27 News, 31 Jan 2017. http://abc27.com/2017/01/31/pennsylvania-game-commission-moving-forward-with-semiautomatic-rifle-use/. Accessed 2 March 2017.

Lead in Ammunition and Fishing Tackle

For the first blog post, I wanted to inform the dangers that lead can cause. Thru many centuries, lead has been a pivotal role for ammunition and fishing tackle. Lead is inexpensive, and effective for manufacture to produce. However, with low levels of exposure to wildlife, and humans; lead can be toxic. Lead has been known to cause damage to the nervous system, which leads to paralysis, or death. However, lower levels of toxic; lead can damage organs, tissues, and neurological damage.

In the United Kingdom (UK), they have found that lead poison was the cause of death of swans in 1970. The UK realized the lead in the fishing sinkers, had distributed to the killing of the waterfowls. The realization of lead harming waterfowl, and upland game birds has put restriction to the uses of lead in ammunition, and fishing tackle.

The most common lead that is stable in the environment is called Metallic lead. Metallic lead can be intact for decades or even centuries, through the soil, or taken up by plants. Lead can come in contact with soil, by whether or not you use lead bullets.  The soil then absorbs the lead, and as it gets consumes by invertebrates, mammals, and birds they ingest higher elevated lead concentrations.

Humans heath can be a major concern when we ingest lead. We can have neurological effects, or even stunt growth, especially young kids. The consumption of eating game birds, that is effected with lead has the possibility to rise the blood-lead levels in humans. Even if the lead bullet passed through the game species, that species can still contain even a small amount of lead. I hunt game birds, and I also eat them when I get the chance. I had no clue that eating game birds that has lead can increase the blood-lead levels of humans. If lead comes into contact with acid in the stomach, lead can be released into your system. I have a tendency to bite down on lead containing sinkers onto my fishing line, and I had no clue the damage that lead to do to the human body.  

With the ban to hunt waterfowl, and coots with lead, the North America has been able to successfully decrease the lead exposure for waterfowls. However, the population for scavengers such as the California condor population will be at risk, because of being exposed to lead poison. Even though, people cannot hunt with lead for waterfowl, they are still able to use lead for raptors and avian scavengers.

As of 2008, there has been 24 states that put restrictions to lead ammunition for upland game birds, and eagles. These restrictions are only meant to minimize the uses of lead ammunition. UK, Canada, other countries, and five states in the U.S. put restrictions on lead sinkers, and fishing tackles. This has allowed for species like swans, and loons to not be affected as much.

With the use of lead ammunition, there has been a lot of effort in the testing, and regulation for alternatives ammunition for hunting waterfowl, and water birds. Nontoxic ammunition has been developed and you are able to buy them in North America. They have been developed for shotguns, and rifles. Substitutes for lead fishing tackle has been produce by markets for a couple of years, however, not all of the alternative metals can be safe for waterfowl, birds, and mammals to digest. As of 2009 the council approved lead in ammunition and fishing tackle, but however it expires in October 2017.

 A few things that we can prevent the spread of lead is: buy nontoxic ammunitions, and alternative fishing tackle. We can educate the public about the damage that lead causes to humans, upland bird game species, and waterfowl. Even though lead had been known to be used throughout the century, that they can be replaced by nontoxic ammunition.

 

Dakota Shadle

 

Works Cited

Lead in Ammunition and Fishing Tackle. 2009. The Wildlife Society. the wildlife society <http://wildlife.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/PS_LeadinAmmunitionandFishingTackle.pdf> Accessed 1, Mar. 2017

Hunting is Conservation

I can remember the first time I went out hunting with my dad. I was 6 years old. I wasn’t old enough to hunt, but my dad decided I was old enough to sit still and appreciate the past time that he treasured when he got the chance. From that first day I went out with my dad, his fire for the outdoors sparked a flame in me that has taken ablaze of my life. It is a burning passion that I share with my dad, family and friends. I yearn for the time I put in scouting, shed hunting, setting stands, cutting shooting lanes, putting out trail cameras and everything in between that gets me ready for the morning sit on the first day of archery season. I learn something new every day out in the woods, and my passion for the outdoors only grow as I grow older.    

Image 1

Not everyone feels the same way I do about hunting. To some, hunting is a cruel, violent, unnecessary sport. As PETA would say, hunters “slaughter and maim millions of animals on public land every year, and by some estimates, poachers kill just as many animals illegally.”¹ Anti-hunters believe that hunters are blood-thirsty killers that kill animals for the fun of it. To them, hunting is obsolete; they believe that the vast majority of hunters do not hunt for subsistence. They are just as passionate about what they believe about hunting as I am about that I know about hunting. I believe that hunting is a way to get people into nature to appreciate and utilize available resources; hunting is one of many ways to conserve and manage game species and the habitat they live in, in addition to providing an organic food source.

Only about 5 percent of the United States population hunts¹, but more people hunt each year than play other sports like soccer or baseball.² Hunting is an outdoor activity available on many national forests, state parks and on public lands just an any other outdoor recreational sport like hiking, fishing, boating and camping. President Theodore Roosevelt was an avid hunter that brought environmental and game protection and management into the spotlight. Roosevelt created national forests and was an advocate for sustainable and ethical hunting². Hunters are one of the biggest supporters of wildlife habitat management. Hunting license fees, tax on firearms and shooting supplies under the Pittman-Robertson Act, and non-profit organizations, such as National Wild Turkey Federation(NWTF), Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation(RMEF), Ducks Unlimited and countless others, contribute to habitat management and restoration³. Hunters are habitat management and conservation advocates because they know that without the proper habitat, there would be no game to hunt.

Those who oppose hunting also think that hunting is the direct cause of some species extinction and that nature has its own natural predators that we should let control species populations^1,4. Natural species management is not as bubbly or ethical as anti-hunters believe. Without species management through hunting, populations will grow and exceed carrying capacity leading them to wander further out of their native range or starve do to competition or predation. A large concentration of a specific species leads to a higher risk of spreading disease, and if those species wander they could venture into urban areas or spread contagious diseases with livestock⁴. Not to mention predators, whom are natural to the food chain, but without the proper control can do the same thing; they will compete for territory and food, only to wander out of their home range and into urban areas, increasing the possibility for negative wildlife and human interaction, and increasing the possibility of spreading diseases to humans, their domestic pets, or livestock.

Image 2

Hunting in general has been part of human life for centuries. “Every early culture relied in hunting for survival. Through hunting, man forged a connection with the land and learned quickly that stewardship of the land went hand-in-hand with maintaining wildlife- and their own way of life.”⁵. There is a difference between trophy hunting and sport, subsistence hunting. With fitness and organic food being a popular past-time fad these days, trekking mountainous terrain and creating a personal connection with your surroundings to get close enough to take a wild animal is a way to get the most organic food source while testing your physical and psychological limits. Subsistence hunting is where an individual takes game animals that all parts of the animal are used for food or to support that individual’s livelihood. Market and trophy hunting were, by law, prohibited thanks to the Lacey Act, passed in 1900⁵. 

Image 3

Hunting will always be a controversial topic among both hunters and anti-hunters alike. Ethical hunting is a conservation tool that has made remarkable advances in wildlife and habitat management. I believe that hunting is a way to get people into nature to appreciate and utilize available resources; hunting is one of many ways to conserve and manage game species and the habitat they live in, in addition to providing an organic food source. Not everyone agrees with my belief, but hunting has always been a passion of mine that I plan to pass onto my children. Hunting is conservation. 

Citations:

      1.  Why Sport Hunting is Cruel and Unnecessary. 2017. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.        PETA. <http://www.peta.org/issues/wildlife/wildlife-factsheets/sport-hunting-cruel-unnecessary/>

     2.   25 Reasons Why Hunting is Conservation. 2013. Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. RMEF. <http://www.rmef.org/Conservation/HuntingIsConservation/25ReasonsWhyHuntingIsConservation.aspx>

       3. Baden, J. A., and T. O'Brien. 1995. Hunting Plays a Key Role in Habitat Conservation. Foundation for Research on Economics & the Environment. FREE. <http://www.free-eco.org/insights/article/hunting-plays-key-role-habitat-conservation>

      4. Hunting- the murderous business. 2017. In Defense of Animals. In Defense of Animals. <http://www.idausa.org/campaign/wild-animals-and-habitats/hunting/>

      5.  Hunting is Conservation. 2017. Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. RMEF. <http://www.rmef.org/Conservation/HuntingIsConservation.aspx?gclid=Cj0KEQiAot_FBRCqt8jVsoDKoZABEiQAqFL76NpyGEF4r4WoqJ5T2FDx0VTU7YWMxDzDD2fkxuwYRaIaApAZ8P8HAQ>

Pictures:

       1.  Taylor Holt

        2.  <http://www.totalwildlifesolutions.com/single-post/2016/05/20/Why-Fawn-Survival-Is-Plummeting>

        3. <http://bgiroquois.blogspot.ca/2012/12/the-art-of-andrew-knez.html>

Coral Reef Population Decline

Coral Reef Population Decline

            If you have personally seen or have seen pictures of coral reefs, you know they are breath-taking with their beautiful colors. Have you ever thought your grandchildren or your great grandchildren may never get to see them? Well, it’s true. The number of living coral reefs is declining at a fast rate due to pollution, warming seawaters, over fishing, climate change and extreme weather events. Coral reefs are made by coral skeletons, which are made up of calcium carbonate, that gather together and build up over hundreds to thousands of years. It takes thousands of years to create coral reefs but takes a fraction of the time to destroy coral reefs.

 

Figure 1: Picture of living coral reef.

            Humans are a big factor that is contributing to the rapid decline of coral reefs. This is because people do not know how to respect the environment and just throw their garbage everywhere. Another human contribution is air pollution, for example gases that are released into the atmosphere end up in the ocean polluting the water. Most pollution that ends up in the ocean is preventable. If people could learn how to clean up after themselves, learn how to respect the environment and decrease the amount of fossil fuels they burn, then maybe we wouldn’t have a decline in coral reefs or even some of the other environmental issues we have due to pollution.

            Warming of seawaters is mostly caused from climate change and extreme weather events. Fluctuation of weather can cause the sea waters to change temperature which can negatively affect the coral reefs. This affects them because they need a certain temperature to live a healthy life, but if the temperature is never regulated then they can’t live. Warming of the seawaters is caused by climate change that is caused by human actions. For example, burning of fossil fuels and emitting greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere causes climate change.

            Over fishing and destructive fishing are more causes of the decline of coral reefs. If we over fish the herbivorous fish, then the other plants, for example algae, will start to out compete the coral reefs. Causing the coral reef to start dying. The fish rely on the coral reef but the coral reef also relies on the fish. The fish and the coral reef benefit each other and are a part of their daily living. Destructive fishing, for example using explosives, destroys coral reefs. So, if we over fish and use destructive ways of fishing there will be a decline in fish and in coral reefs.  

Figure 2: Picture of dead coral reef.

The decline of coral reefs is not only a devastation to people, it is a devastation to aquatic wildlife. Many aquatic species live in coral reefs and rely on them for protection and shelter. If all the coral reefs die off, then many species will be homeless and eventually die off. Which then will cause an issue in the food chain. There is nothing positive about the decline of coral reefs. There should be more being done to help the coral reefs so they don’t die off completely. People need to realize this is a bigger problem than they think. It is a privilege that we take advantage of all too often. If we don’t prevent further damage, these beautiful reefs won’t be available for future generations to enjoy.

            The dying of the coral reefs was definitely preventable. If humans wouldn’t pollute the environment, causing climate change, or over fish, then the coral reefs would still be living. If people don’t change their ways of living, then in a couple of years the coral reefs will be completely gone. Refer to figure two, to see how sad the dying coral reef is. Figure one shows the beautiful colors of the coral reef and if we don’t start doing something to help the coral reefs, then they will all look sad and ugly like figure two. The occurrence of coral reefs dying is all caused from human disturbances. Help save the coral reefs by decreasing pollution, over fishing and burning of fossil fuels. Little changes can help the overall health of the coral reefs.

Citations:

Figure 1: http://assets.inhabitat.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2016/01/cayman-islands02.jpg

Figure 2: https://img.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=https://img.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2016/04/IMG_7296_SITE30_KTietjen_1.jpg&w=480

The Natural Conservancy. 2016. Overfishing and Destructive Fishing Threats. The Reef Resilience Network. < http://www.reefresilience.org/coral-reefs/stressors/local-stressors/overfishing-and-destructive-fishing-threats/>. Accessed 1 March 2017.

University of Exeter. 2017. Impacts of Mass Coral Die-Off on Indian Ocean Reefs Revealed. < https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170220190632.htm>. Accessed 28 Feb 2017.

Republicans Introduce Bill to Dissolve the Environmental Protection Agency

On February 3^rd, a Florida U.S. Representative, Matt Gaetz-R, introduce a bill that would dissolve the EPA entirely. He titled the bill “To Terminate the Environmental Protection Agency” The bill is published under H.R. 861. Three others republicans U.S. Representatives have co-sponsored the bill including: Rep Massie Thomas- Kentucky, Rep. Steven Palazzo- Mississippi, and Rep. Barry Loudermilk- Georgia [Snopes 2017]. I am opposed to this bill creation because it undermines my core values as wildlife professional. I was taught to protect the environment not destroy it.

 

The bill originated from the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee under the committee’s “Make the EPA Great Again” initiative [Huff 2017, Snopes 2017]. How is the committee supposed to “Make the EPA Great Again” when they want to get rid of it? If you look at who is on the committee, you wouldn’t be surprised. The chairman, Lamar Smith-Texas-R, has been a longtime opponent of the scientific community. Lamar Smith has also proposed bills limiting the EPA including the Secret Science Reform Act. The act would have kept the EPA from releasing its studies and recreating them [Ars 2017]. Other people that contribute to the committee’s action are lobbyists for oil, gas, and chemical companies, including Jeffery Holmstead and Kimberly White. Holmstead was also the assistant EPA administrator with the President George W. Bush administration [Huff 2017]. This evidence shows that the bill will not “Make the EPA Great Again.” The committee just wants to create the bill to benefit the oil, gas, and chemical companies. The bill would allow the companies to pollute the environment more easily.

 

Although most people think the EPA only deals with the environment, they are also involved with human health. Under the EPA, pesticides and asbestos are regulated. The EPA makes sure pesticides, such as chlorpyrifos, are used correctly. Chlorpyrifos have been found to be detrimental to human health, especially in children. We’ve all saw the commercials about asbestos and know how bad it can be for our health. Under the EPA, asbestos regulates where and how asbestos can be used. The EPA outlines how asbestos is not to be used at places where children frequent. This includes schools [EPA 2017].

 

As natural resource professional and sportsman, you should be alarmed because of laws that possible be not enforced, with the termination of the EPA.  Clean air and clean water are important and essential to a healthy environment and they could be in jeopardy with the termination of the EPA. The Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act are enforced under the EPA. The EPA enforces how pollutants can be disposed. Guidelines are created under Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act to decrease the amount pollutants being released into environment. If these two acts were not enforced, the environment could quickly become polluted. They protect the environment from pollutants that many companies create. Without the enforcement of the many of the acts, companies could potentially do whatever they want with their pollutants [EPA 2017].

 

Is it a coincidence that Rep. Matt Gaetz receives a lot of funding from big oil and gas companies? I think not. This conflict of interest gives Rep. Matt Gaetz a bias over oil and gas companies. He does want to lose the payments he receives from them. The North Florida Neighbors, one of Matt Gaetz’s donors, has received thousands of dollars from numerous oil and gas companies. This past year they received about $100,000 from Harness Oil and Gas. Much of that money went to Rep. Matt Gaetz’s campaign. Altogether the North Florida Neighbors spend $300,000 on various advertisement strategies for Rep. Matt Gaetz. It is no wonder he wants to dissolve the EPA.  His donors want free rein over what they do with their pollutants and he wants to keep getting his check sent to him [Politico 2016].

 

As of now, nothing has been written up for the bill, but between the creation of this bill and Scott Pruitt, the EPA administrator, the EPA is in for a rough four years. Scott Pruitt was the attorney general of Oklahoma who has a reputation for attacking the EPA. He even has sued the EPA. Scott Pruitt has also been found to have ties to the fossil fuel energy sector. As the Oklahoma attorney general, Scott Pruitt allowed oil and gas companies, such as Devon Energy, to write letters to the EPA about regulations [Wash 2017]. After hearing about this I plan on contacting my local U.S. representative and you should too.

 

Literature Cited:

 

United States Environmental Protection Agency [EPA]. 2017. Laws and Regulations. <

https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations >. Accessed 1 March 2017.

 

Snopes [Snopes]. 2017. Florida Lawmaker’s Bill Would ‘Terminate’ Environmental Protection

            Agency. < http://www.snopes.com/2017/02/06/florida-lawmakers-bill-terminate-

 environmental-protection-agency/ >. Accessed 1 March 2017.

 

The Huffington Post [Huff]. 2017. Congress Asks Lobbyists Who Fought EPA How to Make it

              ‘Great Again’. < http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/epa-house-science-

 committee_us_5898a983e4b0c1284f2718d5 >. Accessed 1 March 2017.

 

ArsTechnica [Ars]. 2017. House Science Committee holds hearing on “Making EPA Great

               Again”. < https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/02/house-science-committee-holds-

   hearing-on-making-epa-great-again/ >. Accessed 1 March 2017.

 

The Washington Post [Wash]. 2017. Thousands of emails detail EPA head’s close ties to fossil

              fuel industry. < https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-

 environment/wp/2017/02/22/oklahoma-attorney-generals-office-releases-7500-pages-of-

 emails-between-scott-pruitt-and-fossil-fuel-industry/?utm_term=.dd4c44679661 >.

 Accessed 1 March 2017.

 

Politico [Politico]. 2016. Super PAC backing Gaetz gets $100K boost from Houston oil

 company. < http://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2016/08/super-pac-

          
             backing-gaetz-gets-100-k-boost-from-houston-oil-company-104450 >. Accessed

            1 March 2017.

Rare Marine Mammal on the Road to Extinction

For my first blog post I wanted to inform you about the bleak future of an endangered species you may not have heard of. This species is the vaquita (Phocoena sinus), which, according to the World Wildlife Fund, remained unknown to science until 1958, and little over a half a century later is in danger of extinction (Vaquita). The vaquita is the smallest cetacean; marine mammals such as dolphins, porpoises and whales, in the world, measuring around 5 feet in total length (Goldfarb, 2016). A study from the Porpoise Conservation Society estimates that there were around 5,000 vaquitas in the 1930’s, with a ninety percent decline between 2011 and 2016 alone. In fact, more than half of the population has been lost in the past three years alone (Save). The vaquitas population decline is not helped by how specific its habitat is, vaquitas are only found in the northern most part of the Gulf of California where the waters are fertile. According to an article on the website the guardian the vaquitas entire range can fit inside the city limits of Los Angeles, four times (Goldfarb, 2016).

                                                                                                                        [6]        

The reason for this drastic decline in the population is due to the poaching of another endangered species. Thanks to a high demand from China poachers have been using gill-nets to illegally catch a large fish known as a totoaba. The totoaba, like the vaquita, is critically endangered due to over fishing. These fish are harvested mainly for their swim bladders, which are dried and shipped to china, where they are bought for thousands of dollars as a delicacy. One of the reasons why the demand for this fish is so high is that the swim bladder is believed to have medicinal properties, however without scientific evidence backing this claim consumers are most likely experiencing a placebo effect. The vaquitas are suffering from the illegal trade of totoaba swim bladders because many of them are getting tangled in the gill-nets and drowning, causing the massive population decline (Malkin, 2017).

                                                                                                                      [7]
 The Mexican government has tried, almost in vain to protect the vaquitas from the gill-nets by law. In April 2015, the Mexican government announced a two-year ban forbidding the use of gill nets within the vaquitas' habitat, to try to improve the species chances of survival. The government also provided compensation pay to the fishermen who would not be able to fish in the area for the extent of the ban. However, even though the ban was enforced by the Mexican Navy the poachers were undeterred, some would even pull their boats to within a few hundred yards of the naval ships to pull in their nets. The poachers that were deterred from fishing during the daily patrols of the Mexican Navy just switched their retrieval and deployment of their nets to night hours. The poachers that the Navy did manage to catch could be convicted of a serious crime due to the prosecution being too splash dash (Malkin, 2017).
The United States Navy and the Mexican Navy are now working together to attempt to save the vaquita. With the US Navy bringing in some specially trained bottle-nosed dolphins to aid in the protection efforts. The US Navy has dolphins trained to detect mines and other items of interest in the oceans, the Navy is planning to put these skills to use in finding and safely capturing a few vaquitas. The captured vaquitas will live in a semi-natural environment until the poaching is taken care of. Despite the good intentions of the Navy however there is the possibility of negative consequences that could be catastrophic to the vaquita population. With the population, as low as it is, less than 30 individuals, the loss of even a single vaquita during the relocation process could be detrimental to plans of repopulation (Becker, 2017). Many conservation groups feel that instead of using dolphins to round up the vaquitas, and causing unneeded stress as well as possible death, Mexico should completely ban gill-nets throughout all the vaquitas habitat. The Mexican government has a plan for such a ban but has yet to act upon it (Malkin, 2017).

I know you are probably wondering why you should care about the vaquita, the main reason why I feel that we should care is that if gill-nets are banned entirely there is a high likelihood that the vaquita can be saved from extinction. Granted it will take a while as female vaquitas cannot reproduce until their sixth year and then only give birth every other year on average. Despite the reproductive limits of the vaquitas the only true obstacle to their survival is the gill-nets. The gill-nets seem to be the only unnatural cause of death to vaquitas, and without them this species would not be in danger of extinction. I feel that it is important to protect the vaquitas because even though it may not be our own personal fault that they are endangered, humans are still at fault, but we can help bring them back.

Abbie Smith
 
Citations:

1.      Becker, R. 2017. Vaquita population drops below 30 as US Navy dolphins race to save     them from extinction. The Verge. The Verge.     <http://www.theverge.com/2017/1/4/14167738/navy-dolphins-military-save-  vaquitas-endangered-porpoise> Accessed 1 Mar 2017.

2.      Goldfarb, B. 2016. Fish poachers push Mexico's endangered porpoises to brink of             extinction. the guardian. the guardian.           <https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/mar/01/fish-poachers-push-            mexicos-endangered-porpoises-to-brink-of-extinction> Accessed 1 Mar 2017.

3.      Malkin, E. 2017. Before Vaquitas Vanish, a Desperate Bid to Save Them. The New York Times. The New York Times. <http://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/27/science/vaquitas-dolphins-mextinction.html?_r=0> Accessed 3 Mar 2017.

4.      Save the Vaquita. n.d. Save the Vaquita Porpoise - Porpoise Conservation Society.            Porpoise Conservation Society.< http://porpoise.org/save-the-vaquita/?gclid=CJCqxY7xtdICFVmBswodk5wA3w> Accessed 1 Mar 2017.

5.      Vaquita. n.d. World Wildlife Fund. World Wildlife Fund.             <http://worldwildlifefund.org/species/vaquita> Accessed 1 Mar 2017.

6.      http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/165/929/291/

7.      http://www.iaes.gob.mx/index.php?pag=infografia-de-la-totoaba

 

     

Global Warming is a Threat to Wildlife

For my first ever blog post I have chosen the topic of global warming.  Global Warming has been an uprising topic the past couple of years.  Climate change is happening and is getting worse and worse every year.  Before I give out the facts and current position on global warming, id like to tell you my viewpoint on the topic.  When I first heard about global warming a few years ago I didn't think anything of it.  I didn't think that it was happening at the rate it is now, nor did I think it was a big deal.  Recently after reading more into it and seeing more news about it, my mind has changed.  I do think it is a serious threat to all animals and plants.  I think we need to keep looking for solutions to help reduce the rate of global warming. 

There have been some observed changes in wildlife and ecosystems as global warming has gotten worse.  One of the many changes is their change in range.  Many species of wildlife and plants that require cooler temperatures are shifting as far northward as they need to from the climate getting warmer.  These species are able to adjust to the warmer climate but species such as the American pika and polar bear may find themselves with nowhere to go.

 Another change that's happening is changes in natural events.  Many species know when to migrate, nest, or breed from the seasonal temperature, weather, and daylight.  Global warming is interfering with the animals instincts.  The changes in climate are forcing wildlife to alter their life cycle and seasonal events.  A good example would be that some animals are breeding, migrating, or emerging from hibernation earlier than they usually do and cant find the necessary food they need to survive. 

Widespread forest loss is another issue that is occurring throughout the world.  The western part of the United States is greatly affected by global warming.  Warming and drought stress is causing many trees to die and making them more vulnerable to insect infestations.  Higher temperatures and increased fuel are big contributors to wildfires as well.  Higher temperatures are also effecting the Artic Sea ice.  The Artic ice is melting at a faster pace than scientists have predicted.  Many Artic mammals rely on the ice for survival.  Sea levels have started to rise which will inundate beaches and marshes and cause erosion on both coasts, diminishing habitat for birds, invertebrates, fish, and other coastal wildlife.

    

Loss of wetlands is also occurring with global warming.  Higher temperatures are leading to drier conditions in the Midwest's Prairie Pothole region, which is one of the most important breeding areas for North American waterfowl.  Invasive species and disease are increasing as well.  With higher temperatures and changes in rain and snow patterns will enable invasive species to move in to new areas.  Pathogens and their hosts will also move in to new areas as temperatures increase.

Trying to slow the rate of climate change is critical for the future of many species.  To help these species we need to radically reduce the amount of greenhouse gases we emit.  Potential solutions would include making vehicles, homes, and buildings more energy efficient.  Increasing wind and solar power and hydrogen produced from renewable resources would also help. 

Global warming is doing widespread and consequential harm to animals and plants, especially to the species that struggle to adapt to new conditions.  Global warming is quickly becoming the biggest threat to the long term survival of America's wildlife.  Average temperatures of the United States over the past century have already increased by more than one degree Fahrenheit.  I hope this blog has gave you the motivation to care more about one of wildlife's biggest threats.  I wanna keep seeing all the beautiful wildlife this world has to offer, so I hope we can find more solutions to prevent more wildlife from getting harmed.



Citations:

National Wildlife Federation [NWF]. 1996-2017. NWF homepage. http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Threats-to-Wildlife/Global-Warming.aspx. Accessed 1 Mar 2017.

National Geographic Society [NGS]. 1996-2015. NWS homepage. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/03/140331-global-warming-climate-change-ipcc-animals-science-environment/. Accessed 1 Mar 2017.

https://www.aei.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/img-wind-and-solar-power-part-i-uncooperative-reality-environment-outlook-part-1-solar-wind_093725210758.jpg

http://public.media.smithsonianmag.com/legacy_blog/05_22_2013_forest-fire.jpg

http://www.livescience.com/images/i/000/085/781/original/american-pika-usgs.jpg?interpolation=lanczos-none&downsize=*:1000