Sharks in Aotearoa, like New Zealand sea lions/pakake are misunderstood, and are under threat. Recently released reports written by Government observers on longline fishing vessels between 2016 and 2021, reported “brutal” and “needless” killing of blue sharks on surface longline fishing boats. Under current fisheries rules, blue sharks can be put back dead or alive. …
You could mistake this scene for a poverty-stricken area in Malaysia, where much of Aotearoa’s waste is sent. This is a scene from a street in Ōtepoti/Dunedin, a southern city in first-world country Aotearoa, with an organised, regional waste disposal system. So, why do people litter? According to environmental psychologist, Lee Chambers, “Littering appears to …
In this edition of myth busters, we are going to be busting myths about New Zealand sea lions/pakake. – Pakake are smelly and unhygienic… They smell like fish. While they don’t have a uniform toiletry system like pigs, they are not necessarily unhygienic. – Pakake are threats to humans… They are not. They are not …
Recently I spied this male pup resting beside his mum; after being given permission by the Department of Conservation, I snuck closer and made my brief introduction. New Zealand sea lion/pakake pups are the rarest seal pups in the world and weigh between eight to twelve kilograms at birth. Their mother’s milk is very rich, …
If you needed another reason to think seals are cool… did you know Antarctic seals equipped with sensors on their heads have been collecting climate change data for us? As pinnipeds tend to be deep-divers, researchers in West Antarctica have been recruiting seals with sensors attached to their heads to collect data from the continent’s …
The reality is alcohol is infused in culture. Ways to have a good time, without affecting innocent bystander’s good time: Having the gang over? Set up multiple recycling bins and rubbish bins around your property for your mates to put their empties and waste into. Drinking on the go? Organise to put a recycling + …
We won’t mislead you – conservation work and sustainable living requires work, but the outcome is worth it. From choosing to hold onto your trash until you can properly dispose of it, instead of littering; to trying to change laws to protect wildlife and nature itself. It all takes work and as human beings we …
The 5th – 13th of March is Seaweek in Aotearoa New Zealand! The sea/moana is a wonderous place, infused with mystery, power, and peace. It is home to many weird and wonderful marine species, and is a playground and foraging haven for humans. Unlike space, 80 percent of the sea remains undiscovered and unexplored by …