Also by Willie

Is the tide turning in favour of sharks?

Posted by Willie - 9 August 2013 at 3:25pm

Grey reef sharks

At the end of Shark Week, it’s time for some good news on sharks. Despite all the earlier blogs this week, this is not me trying to convince you sharks are huggable and loveable (though, they are, obviously), rather a round-up of some good conservation news for the world’s often-underappreciated shark species.

Article tagged as: CITES, conservation, oceans, shark finning, sharks

Never-ending teeth, Ninjas, and cannibalistic nurseries – 10 amazing facts for Shark Week

Posted by Willie - 8 August 2013 at 4:02pm

Sharks have a never-ending supply of teeth. They regenerate replacement dentition on an inexhaustible toothy conveyor belt ... which explains why you see so few shark dentists.

But sharks are not all about teeth, despite the bad press. Filter feeders like the megamouth shark, are mostly big (but harmless) mouths; the winghead shark has a head half the length of its body, and; the thresher sharks have a huge tai (ideal for stunning fish before eating them) that can be the same length as its body.

Shark Week : Naming and shaming the world’s most ridiculous sharks

Posted by Willie - 7 August 2013 at 2:07pm

Less scary, more ridiculous - some names we give sharks seem pretty unflattering

Sharks don't half get called some silly names

Lots of people are frightened of sharks. That makes some sense if you think all sharks are relentless man-eating teeth-machines, but in reality the vast majority of them are much more scared of us, or they should be. There are over 350 species of sharks around the world, but they don’t all get to grab the headlines or star in feature film franchises. So in honour of Shark Week, and to show you how daft it is to be irrationally fearful of some of these critters, here’s a quick guide to the silliest-named sharks in our oceans.

The essential Greenpeace guide to surviving a shark attack

Posted by Willie - 6 August 2013 at 10:36am

Giving a hungry shark something else to chew on might be a good tactic.

It’s Shark Week. Despite us trying to tell you otherwise, some of you still worry about getting chomped by a shark. So, to allay your fears and help give you some practical ways to avoid being shark sushi, here is the handy Greenpeace guide to avoiding shark attacks.

Shaping up for a fin-filled Shark Week

Posted by Willie - 5 August 2013 at 9:30am

Every week is Shark Week for the oceans campaign.

It’s Shark Week. You’re allowed to be excited. If you already like sharks you will doubtless be enjoying that the internet is awash with sharp-finned fun. But if you don’t know much about sharks, or are a bit wary because they’re scary, you might be wondering what all the fuss is about.

Sharks need parks (and for you to stop rubbing them on your face)

Posted by Willie - 29 July 2013 at 4:34pm

Selfridges Project Ocean save our sharks display

Selfridges Project Ocean - making sharks more fluffy

Okay, so it’s unlikely you’ll ever see a hammerhead on a helter-skelter; it’s fair to say you won’t see many basking sharks see-sawing with sawfish; and woe betide the wobbegong that tries to have a go on a roundabout. But sharks need parks too. They have as much right to play in safety as anyone else, right?

Article tagged as: marine reserves, Project Ocean, Selfridges, Shark Parks, sharks

Turtle recall

Posted by Willie - 23 May 2013 at 9:00am

An Olive Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) swims in the open blue ocean of the Pacific.

When I heard it was World Turtle Day, I hatched a plan. I know that to an international audience ‘turtle’ covers a multitude of reptile species, but rather than getting all Queens’ English-y over what is a tortoise, a terrapin or a turtle, I thought this was a good opportunity to focus in on the seven amazing species that roam our oceans – the sea turtles.

Article tagged as: biodiversity, oceans, sea turtles, turtles

Top 10 weird wildlife: immortal jellyfish, gender-swapping fish and pink dolphins

Posted by Willie - 22 May 2013 at 3:09pm

Today is International Day for Biological Diversity. An opportunity to celebrate and wonder at the amazingly diverse variety of species we share the planet with. This year it has a water theme, so we’ve been having some fun over on Twitter, and here’s our pick of the weirdest and most wondrous watery wildlife you definitely need to know about.

Article tagged as: biodiversity, forests, international day for biological diversity, oceans, wildlife

Deal or no deal on Europe's fishing laws?

Posted by Willie - 20 May 2013 at 5:47pm

Will politicians net a fair fishing deal?

While considering how to write a blog on the latest developments on Europe’s bumpy road to fisheries reform, I decided to take a step back in time. Eleven months ago I wrote this blog explaining where the discussions were at, what was still on the table, and outlining a number of areas of concern.

Article tagged as: CFP, common fisheries policy, EU, oceans, overfishing

It’s crunch time (again) for Europe’s fish ministers

Posted by Willie - 13 May 2013 at 12:56pm

A full page ad calls for Benyon to support sustainable fishing

If you listen to Ronan Keating much (I don’t) – you’d be familiar with the concept that Life is a Rollercoaster.

But for some of us, it’s a bit more accurate to liken the process of reforming Europe’s failed fish laws to that particular fun-fair ride : full of twists and turns, highs and lows, moments of hopeful elation, followed by moments of abject panic and fear. And sometimes making us reach for a sick bag.

Article tagged as: CFP, oceans, richard benyon, sustainable fishing

Greenpeace UK