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Haiti ends dolphin captivity. Despite being a very poor country with many ongoing human problems, to say nothing of recent disastrous flooding and mudding caused by heavy rains on deforested hillsides, Haiti sanctioned the liberation of six dolphins by Ric O'Barry of the Dolphin Project now operating under the auspices of One Voice, a French-based organization.

The US Court of appeals has declared the Makah Whale Hunt illegal for the third time. The court ruled that the hunt was in violation of the National Environmental Policy Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act and that it would consider no further appeals. The Marine Mammal Protection Act contains a specific exemption for subsistence whaling by Alaskan tribes but not for the Makah who are closer to other food sources. The Bush administration has always supported Makah whaling.

The Fund for Animals reports decline in hunters and their kills. (Spring 2004 issue) From 14 million in 1991, hunter numbers had fallen to 13 million in 2001, a decline of c.1% per year. The number of animals killed fell from 200 million in 1988-89 to 115 million in 2002-03, a decline of 42%. Hunters are fighting this trend by actively trying to teach more kids to kill.

American bears are still being poached for illegal black market trade. Virginia Interagency Effort to Protect Environmental Resources has documented violations by at least 100 people in seven states. Bears living in Shenandoah and other national parks were among those poached. Five Alaskans were indicted for illegally killing bears in February. Bear gall bladders can bring hundreds of dollars on the international black market. There is also a market for their paws (for bear paw soup, considered a medicinal tonic in Asia). Congress has failed to pass the Bear Protection Act because bears are not endangered. - AWI Quarterly Spring 04.

British MP speaks out against Canadian seal hunt. Roger Gale, who has observed the seal hunt first hand expressed disappointment that it has been revived to obtain the fur of baby seals. Skinned corpses are left to rot negating government's claim that the whole animal is used. Gale characterized the hunt as savage and

brutal (Some babies are skinned alive.), and as having "no place in a civilized society." Among the hunt advocates are those who have over-fished North Atlantic waters, once teeming with fish, and are now blaming the shortage of fish on the seals.

War against double-crested cormorants escalates. The US Fish and Wildlife Service has knuckled under to sport fishers and fish farmers in allowing these birds to be killed in 24 states in defiance of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Wildlife (Elimination) Services has been authorized to kill the birds without justification just about anywhere anytime whether they are near a fish farm or not. New York State has announced it will increase egg oiling and hazing at nesting areas and, in addition, allow up to 600 to be killed.

The Buffalo Field Campaign is again offering a public educational program over the summer and seeks help from groups that can make arrangements for presentations in their locales. The Montana Department of Livestock often abetted by National Park Rangers has sent to slaughter (killed) 278 buffalo (bison) this winter and hazed the same herd of 100-200 back into the park from public lands at least 50 times at taxpayer expense. On one occasion this spring they used a helicopter for an hour and a half over designated grizzly habihabitat The Buffalo Preservation Act HR3446 has 103 sponsors. You can check if your representative is one of them at www.wildrockies.org/buffalo/politico/3446.html and act accordingly.

Interior Secretary Gale Norton has proposed removing gray wolves from Endangered Species List. The proposal would turn over wolf management to individual states. There are 3,200 wolves in Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin but no significant, if any, number elsewhere in the eastern states. There is, however, always the possibility of migrants coming in from Canada.

Drilling for gas and oil in Padre Island National Seashore. Unfortunately for sea turtles (and human visitors), Padre Island is only a superficial park because the underground minerals are privately owned and being exploited by BNP Petroleum, a Texas oil company. It would be a good thing if the government were to buy out the mineral rights to preserve this undeveloped bit of coast, but that is unlikely under the present administration.

Red wolves are making a recovery in North Carolina. Defenders of Wildlife reports that the birth of a record 55 pups this year has brought the number of red wolves living wild in northeastern North Carolina to over 100. Approximately 150 still live in zoos and other breeding facilities. The human attempt to exterminate them almost succeeded. By 1980 fewer than 20 had survived. USFWS rounded them up and started a captive breeding program to preserve the species, which once ranged from Pennsylvania south to Florida and west to Texas. Smaller than the gray wolf, one of the greatest threats to their survival is interbreeding with coyotes. Needless to say, they have full endangered species ranking.

Zimbabwe to nationalize all private land including wildlife conservancies . This policy will remove the protection that various organizations have been giving to Zimbabwe wildlife.

Bulgaria has new sanctuary for ex-dancing bears. Led by Brigitte Bardot, assisted by the Bulgarian branch of the Austria-based Four Paws Foundation and many other workers including school children, Bulgaria has opened a residence for bears forced (by painfully pulling on their nose rings) to "dance" for public entertainment by gypsies who were paid for handing over their illegally-owned bears and agreeing not to obtain others. The money should help them to develop another source of income.

Environmental groups have threatened to sue US Navy unless it takes steps to prevent whale deaths from sonar. The Humane Society of the United States, International Fund for Animal Welfare, National Resources Defense Council and Ocean Futures Society want the navy to conduct its sonar tests only in areas not frequented by whales. The tests have killed whales and dolphins in several areas.

12 African nations endorsed a resolution to ban the ivory trade completely at a symposium arranged by the International Fund for Animal Welfare in Paris, June 28-29. The previous CITES downlisting of elephant populations in some countries in order to allow a limited ivory trade had resulted in increased poaching and illegal trafficking. The resolution calls for full protection for all elephants.

USFWS officials have killed all 9 wolves of the largest of Idaho's 37 packs because they killed 90 sheep last year. Ranchers throughout the state lost a total of 118 sheep, 13 calves and 6 guard dogs last year. Non-lethal methods were tried but failed to deter the Cook Pack wolves from killing sheep.

International Whaling Commission Meeting failed to establish South Pacific sanctuary but managed to stave off the demise of the official whaling moratorium despite Japan's attempt to buy votes in favor of reestablishing commercial whaling from small countries in need of the money.

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