Save Eco Destinations

The Great North Woods within the Bigelow Perserve - by paulv2c

Note: This post is about nature activities, not eco activities. I am posting about it because this can be used as an opportunity to spread environmentally-friendly awareness through a few channels, e.g. going and talking about it, teaching people and the guides how important it is, what you can do, and being an example of it yourself; and not going because it’s not an eco vacation – and then writing them to explain why you refuse to support their business and what favorable changes they can make to attract mindful visitors such as yourself. Also, fly fishing is allowed in one of the destinations, which is lame and I do not support.

If you do not agree with this approach, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Mmm, green…I sure do yearn for it living in the city! I will not be able to make my way to Maine this summer and breathe in the cleansing air, but maybe you will.

An ecotourism campaign has been launched to attract nature lovers to the numerous lakes, mountains and abundant lush green throughout the state.

Maine Woods Discovery offers 7 vacation packages with outdoor, leisure, and cultural outings. These range from 1 day and 1 night in length and 3 days and 3 nights, from $75 to $318 per person (and one deal costing $530 for a couple).

You’ll be given the chance to choose from 6 destination areas –

• Bethel/Mahoosucs focuses on the culture of the village located by the White Mountain National Forest
• Moosehead/100-mi Wilderness takes you to the state’s grandest lake and section of the Appalachian Trail
• Katahdin/North Woods exposes you to Mount Katahdin and the Great North Woods, where you can bird watch and peek at diverse wildlife (remember what we said about being quiet ecotourists, though!)
• Upper Kennebec is all about the crazy rivers up to Quebec
• Maine’s High Peaks is touted as the most picturesque option (although I bet they are all breathtaking and I want to see your pictures if you go!)
• Rangeley Lakes is, uh, well, a whole section of lakes you can check out. A chain, to be exact, for water bound recreational activities. You also get to check out Saddleback Mountain. (That reminds me of the movie Brokeback Mountain. Which I haven’t seen yet. I know, right? It’s been like 5 years already!)

Enjoy!

(If you’re sick of the topic, just scroll to the bottom for the important stuff.)

Check it out: Not even the Argentine Minister of Health Juan Manzur (left) or President Cristina Kirchner (right) are wearing a mask.

Yes, again. This time because I am in South America, I am freezing my butt off, and the news keeps scaring the hell out of everybody regarding the damn H1N1 — or piggy flu, as I like to call it.

Did you know that those masks are counterproductive? They make the area of your nose and mouth more hospitable to viruses and bacteria by keeping it warm and moist. You’re definitely better off without one. They’re all sold out anyway because the mainstream media lies through their rotten teeth about what will help you prevent becoming a pandemic statistic. What a joke.

Did you know that at the international airport of Ezeiza  in Buenos Aires passengers getting off the planes are given masks to wear just for photojournalists to photograph? It’s disgusting.

Did you know that most people who contract H1N1 experience mild symptoms that go away on their own? Yes, I already told you that Tamiflu is a ripoff.

So scary!

Wait, wrong mammal.

Here we go:

So cute! Thanks for the photo, USDA.

Some eco love

So go ahead and go on your fun South American eco adventure – visit Iguazú, the Patagonia in Argentina/Chile (hey THIS looks pretty sweet and maybe THIS too), marvel at the beauty of Brazilians while gazing at the Atlantic from a mound of warm sand (or while doing one of these activities).

Hey, I wish these places paid me for the advertising. Pfft.

The-important-stuff-at-the-bottom

Here are some crucial and frightening facts that will benefit you if you choose to innoculate yourself in hopes of avoiding an H1N1 infection: Squalene: The Swine Flu Vaccine’s Dirty Little Secret Exposed.

Be safe — but not paranoid! I.E. Don’t watch mainstream news. Stay objective and inform yourself from several disparate sources.

There is more good news, so I wanted to share:

In the last post, I discussed the international bluefin tuna trade ban proposed by Monaco, the UK,  and France—which is awesome.

I also mentioned how UK supermarket chains like Waitrose and Sainsbury’s have quit selling endangered seafood—yay!

More good news:

A resolution by member countries and organisations of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) banning fish aggregating devices (FADs) catches between 1 August and 30 September was signed by the Philippines. – FIS

So all the countries that fish commercially with purse-seine fishing boats in the western and central Pacific Ocean will have to abide by the ban. (Bluefin tuna live far out in international waters.)

This is looking good.

Longline fishing - picture by www.globalresponse.org

While some fishing fleets will remain legally able to fish tuna –

1) they will make their catches with the long-line (a commercial fishing technique) and hand-line fishing methods, which are environmentally sound in comparison; and

2) local fleets will probably have to venture farther than out into the open sea than usual. Then,

3) their operation costs would rise. And thus

4) tuna prices would rise. And hopefully,

5) consumption will consequently fall.

Let’s hope so.

Because the tuna industry is not too fazed by the ban given that it will not apply to long-lining, which will help “bridge the supply gap.”

You know, except the coastal communities that depend on fishing for a source of income. But they don’t count.

What about the international ban?

The countries that sign the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora or CITES—which will probably soon include the U.S.—will meet in March 2010, according to The Economist.

2010? Why not now, right? And even if these countries could meet and get their asses in gear now, it could be too late.

Yet even if the trade in bluefin tuna were to be halted completely, there would be no guarantee that the species would recover. Experience with other fisheries, such as the collapse of the cod population of the Grand Banks off Newfoundland in 1992, has shown that the dynamics of an ecosystem can change when a top predator is removed completely. Fifteen years later, the northern cod stock has not recovered. – The Economist

Woe.

Let’s hope for the best.

And stab anyone you see even thinking about eating tuna. With a spork.

To get some history on the bluefin tuna issue, I recommend this article in the Wall Street Journal written by Prince Albert of Monaco. (Monaco was the first, on June 5^th, to call for an international ban.)

"I killed a huge fish, I'm awesome" from fishingkites.co.nz

The dramatically endangered bluefin tuna species has something to smile about today: Britain, Monaco and France are calling for an international ban on its fishing.

Wow. Can you imagine?

I’ve been smiling about this all day! (Imagine the tuna!)

“Ours is the last generation with the ability to take action before it’s too late – we must protect marine resources now, in order to fish better in the future,” Sarkozy said at the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), according to Environment News Service.

“We owe this to fishermen, and we owe it to future generations,” he added.

Way cool. (Note to Sarkozy: you owe it to fisherwomen too, pal.)

So, first to raise the flag for the international ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna was the Principality of Monaco. The sovereign city-state launched a formal CITES consultation process earlier this week in hopes of gaining the support of other range States.

by Greenpeace

People—apart from environmentalists—gained awareness about the issue earlier this year in response to the Sundance Festival release of the documentary film “The End of the Line.” The movie describes the pace at which oceans are being overfished and the crime’s catastrophic consequences. It’s based on the book The End of the Line: How Overfishing Is Changing the World and What We Eat by Charles Clover.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bedirwk95Oc&hl=en&fs=1&]

The film has inspired UK supermarket chains like Waitrose and Sainsbury’s to stop dealing endangered species or only sell sustainably caught fish, and inspired consumers to shop for their food mindfully.

And am I glad! Because even though Greenpeace protests indeed have achieved a whole lot throughout the years, it’s a whole lot easier and less painful to get the point across when you have governmental bodies to back you up. Right, Emma Briggs? Watch the video behind the link to read + watch for yourself.

It seems we need TV to tell us that if we don’t stop being assholes, there won’t be any sushi left by 2048—not to mention no more bluefin tuna by 2012! That’s less than three years.

Wait, scratch that.

“The Mediterranean bluefin tuna fishery is collapsing and, unless we take immediate action, the breeding population will disappear by 2010,” said World Wildlife Fund UK (WWF-UK) Marine Programme Manager Sally Bailey.

“We’re urging the government to encourage other countries to follow this lead and ban international trade. It’s our last chance to save this iconic species,” she added.

Image by Sustainability Ninja

Jeepers!

But hey, if movies are what we need to reach people (apart from having protesters chain themselves to supermarket freezers) … then get to work, filmmakers!

(Yes, I know Australia’s successfully bred bluefin tuna in cages. It’s not the same.)

Seriously, it’s times like these that I am the most grateful for organizations like Greenpeace, WWF and even those crazy punks over at PETA!

THANK YOU!

From the tuna and from all of us…

We have received “an award for providing one of the best Eco Travel-related blogs out there” from TripBase.com. Save Eco Destinations emerged as a finalist.

Yippee!

Check it out (click):

You can read about it here or here if you like.

We’ve received a badge to display but, um, I don’t know how to set it up yet. But I will!

And when I say “we” I mean you (yes, youuu) and me.

Thank you!!

Gorgeous autumn foliage by The National Geographic

You may have noticed the blog went on hiatus there for a while.

But it’s back.

And with a slightly new arrangement: sassier pants, raz-pazzaz, and all that jazz. More z’s, but not of the sleepy kind.

I want to thank you (yes, you!) for sticking around and supporting the blog with your readership and comments. It’s always heartwarming to meet new people and hear new voices concerned about the environment, about our planet and all living things in it.

Upcoming news:

• Save Eco Destinations received an Eco Travel Blog Award 2009!
• A cool company got in touch with us

Read about it in the next post!

See you soon

Be well!