Penguins Disappearing From Southern Hemisphere

The Scotsman is running a piece looking at the mysterious disappearance of penguins from all around the world. A biologist who studies the rockhopper penguin characterizes the population crash as 'sinister', as scientists are still baffled as to why almost 30% of the birds have vanished. From the article: "Grant Munro, the director of Falklands Conservation, said there were fears that rockhoppers might become extinct. 'If the present situation were to carry on then it's not a particularly great forecast. It doesn't look like they are suddenly going to start increasing in numbers ... In the Falklands, they are part of everyday life. If you head down to the beach you are going to see penguins.'"

Re:BULLSHIT!

[bmo]

"Penguins are not just cute. They're delicious too."

It was at this time that Dr. Cook assumed moral command of the BELGICA. De Gerlache and Amundsen were busy with the details of preparing the ship to break free of the ice while Cook realized that the mood of the shipmates would become his responsibility. Cook knew the men needed sunlight and fresh meat. De Gerlache had already tasted penguin and seal meat and declared them both to be inedible. As for penguin meat, Dr. Cook said "If it's possible to imagine a piece of beef, odiferous cod fish and a canvas-backed duck roasted together in a pot, with blood and cod-liver oil for sauce, the illustration would be complete". In order to convince the crew it was necessary for medicinal purposes, de Gerlache unwillingly agreed to "ignore the taste; swallow it down as a duty".

http://www.south-pole.com/p0000083.htm [south-pole.com]

--
BMO

Close but no cigar

[OriginalArlen]

I heard this chap interviewed on the Today programme yesterday morning. He put great emphasis on pointing out that it's only the Rockhoppers that have declined: the Gentoo and Emperor penguin species seem to be unaffected by whatever's causing this. Readers in the UK running Windows legacy systems can watch the related TV story here [bbc.co.uk]. Hmmm, and there's a story here from 2002. [bbc.co.uk]

Here's the culprits...

[advocate_one]

the bl00dy great fishing fleets hoovering up the fish... [seabirds.org] and there's a whole sorry saga here... [falklands.net] corrupt officials effectively condoning it.

Murder, not global warming

[driptray]

Don't blame global warming - the real culprit is thugs with knives: Penguins killed in sickening beach attack [smh.com.au]