Articles
EU closes finning loophole
As reported in the forums, the EU has closed a loophole that allowed crews with Special Fishing Permits (SFPs) to continue landing shark fins without the carcass. Up until now, EU vessels have been estimated to be responsible for 27% of the fins in the Hong Kong markets. (Image from Shutterstock)
Oarfish filmed for the first time from an ROV
The Journal of Fish Biology has published a paper listing 5 observations of oarfish (Regalecus glesne) that were filmed or recorded by deep diving remotely operated vehicles. Previously, the species had only been observed either dead or dying at the surface.
University of Miami announces its 2013 Underwater Photography Contest results
The winners of the 2013 University of Miami Marine Photography Contest have been announced. The prize for Best Overall goes to Kyle McBurnie of California for his shot of a harbor seal in a kelp forest off Cortes Bank.
Turtle conservationist murdered in Costa Rica
Conservation International has reported that 26-year-old turtle conservationist Jairo Mora Sandoval was abducted and shot by masked men whilst on his way to patrol the beach of Moin, Costa Rica. The purpose of their patrol was to protect leatherback turtle nests from poachers. (Leatherback turtle image from Shutterstock.)
New CompactFlash card features RAID style back-up
Due to launch on 14 June is a new CompactFlash card that offers the option of an in-card “mirror” back-up similar to that of a RADI drive. The idea is that the card can be split into two partitions that each record information simultaneously. Of course, this halves the storage capacity and the read/write speeds.
Japan to reject CITES shark agreements
The New Age reports that the Japanese government is to reject the CITES agreement to add the oceanic whitetip (Carcharhinus longimanus), smooth hammerhead (Sphyrna zygaena), great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran), scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini) porbeagle sharks (Lamna nasus) to Appendix II. The agreement would limit cross border trade in products that have been made using the animals but Japan is filing a “reservation”, which will allow them to continue as before.
Review: Backscatter Airlock vacuum integrity check system
Wetpixel Editor Adam Hanlon presents a review of Backscatter’s Airlock vacuum housing integrity check system. These, and similar devices from other brands, have been one of the most hotly discussed accessories over the past few months on the forum, with several active threads devoted to them.
Adobe clarifies their position on the Creative Cloud
Adobe’s announcement that it was to end the option of purchasing a “perpetual license” for its products in future, in favor of a subscription based monthly fee for its Creative Cloud has caused widespread discontent and threatened defections from its products. Perhaps in order to stem this, they Creative Cloud team has issues an update to the change on their blog.