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Aklexandra Andersson, has written a sobering article for Time Magazine at the link below

(please copy and paste)

http://time.com/2999513/conservation-seahorses-dugongs-freshwater-slow-lorises-turtles-tortoises-sun-bears/

In the article, Alex has listed 5 species (the very tip of the iceberg) that are disappearing rapidly despite legal protection. Ou planet is reliant on the balance of our eco-systems if we allow this constant erosion of the web of life to continue then eventually it will collapse. We are already witnessing food shortages, water pollution, and habitat loss and what is left is a carefully manicured, artificial environment. Sadly there will come a time when this builds to such a level that a worldwide problem occurs. We have time to stop it but we have to act now before it is too late.

Thank you so much to Sam at OS Aquatics in Wool Dorset who has kindly nominated us as his charity to raise funds for. our work In his annual tidy up of his bedroom, Sam found lots of things to sell and has set up a stall outside of OS Aquatics and within just a few days he has raised £44 towards the work of The Seahorse Trust. We think he is amazing and is certainly a Seahorse Champion. Thanks Sam.

We had an amazing time on Sunday the 22nd of June at the Seahorse Swim at Studland Beach organised and run by Bob Holman and his amazing team of volunteers and swimmers. The event has been running for several years now and has grown from 50 swimmers in its first year to 230 this year and once again EDOWSC kindly supported the work of The Seahorse Trust by inviting us along and making a very generous donation of £300 towards our work at Studland.

Trust Director Neil started the race and set the swimmers on their way and at the end of the long gruelling course he presented some of the prizes.

It was a very hot sunny day and everyone who took part enjoyed themselves and the team of volunteers who ran the race did a fantastic job of making sure everyone was safe and well looked after.

It was so fantastic to see The Seahorse Trusts logo on the back of everyone’s t-shirts and our own team of volunteers answered many questions about the work at Studland.

Filming the race were Ross and Will who are doing a degree at Bristol University linked with the Natural history Unit; they were flying their quad copter over the swimmers to get a seagull’s eye view of the events and we hope to have a link to the footage online soon.

On behalf of The Seahorse Trust our trustees, patrons, members and supporters I would like to thank Bob and his incredible team for a very enjoyable day and if you want to learn more and maybe do a sponsored swim for The Seahorse Trust please have a look at their website and Facebook www.edowsc.org/ed/  and  www.facebook.com/eastdorsetopenwater

There are more pictures on our facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/106564446031865/

I just wanted to say a massive thank you to Louise Horvath and her amazing team of students on the animal care course (level 1) for raising £475 for the trust from their 8 miles sponsored walk and cake sale (held in the reception. They are the animal carers of the future and have kindly taken time out to raise money for our work, especially the work with the British Seahorses. Thank you so much for one and all for your hard work from everyone here at the trust, your all superstars.

Here at the trust we are very lucky to have a great team of trustees who oversee the work of the trust and one of them is Doctor David Gibson the CEO of the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth. Dave, his staff and their visitors have regularly raised funds for our work through the collection spinner, situated near the British Seahorses in the aquarium. Over the last few years they have raised several thousand pounds from donations, including a cheque this morning for the last month of £301.69. Thank you to everyone at the aquarium, visitors and staff alike for your amazing support.

http://www.national-aquarium.co.uk/

Every year thousands of River Dolphins are killed illegally in Brazil. This is a country that is hosting a major football competition and yet its authorities let this happen.

Please use your voice to help this become a thing of the past.

Go to the WDC link below and look at their video and then please sign their petition to stop this wholesale slaughter. THANK YOU.

http://uk.whales.org/campaigns/stop-illegal-killing-of-river-dolphins

After years of requests from the international community Beijing recognizes that the hunting and traduing of 420 species is a  “global threat”. The ban involves pandas, rhinos, pangolins and sharks: used in traditional medicine or considered “treats” these animals are in danger of disappearing. The penalties for violating the new law range from 3 to 10 years in prison.

Eating or hunting rare animals for food is now a criminal offense in China. The government has approved an amendment to the Criminal Code which sets 3 to 10 years in prison for those who “knowingly eat or trade “, the meat of the 420 species currently at risk across the Chinese territory. They include the giant pandas, golden monkeys, Asian black bears and pangolins. Shark fins and rhino horns, key elements in traditional Chinese medicine have also been banned.

The decision was made this morning by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, which represents the national parliament. After years of requests from the international community, the Standing Committee defined the hunting of endangered species a “global threat”. In addition, the Commission has “blamed” wealthy Asian consumers who, thanks to a high volume of cash, foment trade in rare animals for personal purposes.

In Asian tradition, some breeds are associated with well-being and vigor. Giant turtle soup ensures a long life, bear’s paw helps sexuality, and powdered rhino horn is used to heal fever, epilepsy, malaria, poisoning and abscesses. Given these beliefs, the hunting and trading of these animals are very popular activities: announcing the reform today, state news agency Xinhua claims that “up to now those involved in these practices went unpunished”.

You can find a list of the protected species which includes one species of seahorse below at http://jpkc.ahut.edu.cn/hjpj/dwml.html

Dear all, Trust Patron Chris Packham is in Malta highlighting the yearly massacre of the migratory birds that fly over the islands every spring. From the 21st to the 26th of April at 9pm UK time he is going to be doing a nightly video diary to highlight this appalling massacre.

Check them out at http://www.chrispackham.co.uk/

Malta has the highest density of illegal hunters (up to 10,000) in Europe and what they are doing is wrong and illegal and has to stop; this affects everyone. The very birds being shot in Malta are our spring and summer nesting birds here in the UK and they are not getting a chance to reach us depleting our own bird species and diversity. Every bird shot is depletes our ecosystem and this is happening throughout Europe where the birds migrate to.

The killing of migrating birds in spring is expressly forbidden by the European Union, but Malta’s government continues to allow turtle dove and quail to be shot at this crucial time of year. As well as shooting at these birds, many Maltese hunters also use the spring hunting season as an opportunity to target rare and protected species of birds that breed in Europe, such as Pallid Harriers, Cuckoos and Bee-eaters. Everything is being shot even birds that are sitting on the ground at night are ‘hunted’ by torch light and shot.

Along with over 60% of the Maltese population, BirdLife Malta believes it is time for this to stop. 45,000 Maltese people (more than 10% of the population) have signed a petition calling for a referendum where they will be able to vote to end spring hunting once and for all.

To help stop the massacre of birds every year make a donation to help pay for video cameras, telescopes, binoculars and other equipment so the volunteers can do their job, please you’re your donation through  https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/stop-spring-hunting-on-malta  There is also a great deal more information on the Indiegogo site and watch Chris’s nightly blogs on his website.

Please make this appeal go viral, send it out to every contact, twitter account and Facebook page you belong to. Help make stopping the slaughter a reality, make this the last year ever that the Maltese Archipelago becomes a Killing Fields