When we don't hear the whole story

I have received two worrying posts via Facebook in the last 24 hours.

The first was a link from an acquaintance of mine who traps and does everything he can to promote that activity. He was interested by an article Biodiversity benefits from new snaring scheme - National Park agrees about how black grouse conservation in Scotland is being aided by trapping predators such as foxes and weasels. Which is no doubt true, but if one looks a bit deeper into the story, the RSPB are the other lead body working on black grouse conservation. Their emphasis is very much on habitat management, and "reducing fox and crow predation where essential". Notice the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust never mentioned crows. By cherry-picking at bits of the whole story, they have come up with an article that shows how wonderful snaring is.

Perhaps more worrying, because it is about something I agree with, is this video made by Hellmans in support of food security.



The problem here are the numbers they quoted for blueberry production in NS: "NS production in 2007 was half what it was in 2003". Now, this is actually true, 13500 tons, down from 29300. And if this were a trend, yes, we should be worried, but it is not born out by the statistics. One could equally have compared 2008 with 2007 and said that harvest is up 54%.

Take a look and you will see that 2003 saw an abnormally high production, with an unprecedented yield of 0.77 tons/acre, while 2007 was low at 0.34 tons/acre. The ten year average was 0.49 tons/acre (my maths). No doubt yields vary considerably according to the weather and other factors.

What should be noted from these figures is that the acreage under production has risen fairly steadily in the past 10 years. Totally counter to the argument that the video is making, and however much one wants to support a cause like food security, one has to wonder just how reliable all their other numbers are.

Enlightened thinking on coyote control

Broomfield, Colorado, has just launched their draft Coexistence with Wildlife Policy, which uses two levels of hazing of coyotes to discourage them from coming into contact with humans, in an effort to avoid the use of lethal control.

Full story. A shame the Nova Scotia government is not so enlightened.

Picnic in the Forest

Picnic in the Forest happens tomorrow, October 18, 11am-2pm. It is hosted by Friends of Redtail Society to launch their campaign to save forest lands from industrial clear cutting.

Redtail Nature Awareness is a nature retreat and experiential education centre located in a semi-wilderness region of northern Nova Scotia, Canada. It offers year round camps for youth and nature retreats for adults that help participants explore the richness, mystery and sacredness that is inherent in nature.

Friends of Redtail Society have concluded negotiations to purchase land comprising approximately 313 acres near Scotsburn, Pictou County that had been slated for clear cut. To complete this purchase the Society has until December 2009 to raise upwards of $250,000. For more information please call (902) 485-4688



Google Map. 400 MacBeth Road

For the love of Dog

Last week one of the main news stories in Nova Scotia was the discovery of nearly 100 cats and dogs being kept in appalling conditions at a private animal shelter. This is yet another reminder of the gross overpopulation of cats and dogs, many of which will end up homeless or at a shelter desperately hoping to find a loving home.

PETA have two videos on the subject which I'd like to share with you. The first talks about all the reasons why owners should have their pets neutered or speyed:




The second is a plea to get pets from a shelter rather than a pet store or breeder:


Learn more about PETA's ABC campaign at PETA.org.

Cape Breton labour market study

Here's a short little movie about life for young people on Cape Breton Island from two different perspectives.



If you are an outmigrant from Cape Breton, visit www.capebretonworks.com and complete the survey to help JCI find unique solutions to out-migration and to the skilled labour shortage in the knowledge sector.

Mink - the inside story

Have you ever wondered what happens to a mink once it's fur has gone to make something fashionable?

This job posting (May 11, 2007 - the link may expire) for an "Environmental Researcher" may give you a clue:

"Spec Environmental Solutions Inc. (SPEC) belongs to the Spectacle Lake group of companies located in Concession, Digby Co., NS. SPEC operates a commercial composting site serving the local mink farming industry by processing organic waste by-products from approx. 1,000,000 mink per year."

Three things strike me about this. First is the huge number of animals. Second is the fact that Spectacle Lake seem to make no mention of this side of their business on their website. Third, they use their construction company to 'hide' the trucking of the carcases:

"Spectacle Lake Concrete & Excavating Limited does all the trucking and marketing for the composting facility."

I guess it's not something they are not proud of?


technorati tags: animal rights, fur, fur farming, Nova Scotia