The Essentia Blog

A set of new conservation maps presented at the UN climate change talks this week pinpoint the areas with the most dense biodiversity on earth so that more resources can be directed to protecting the most biodiverse areas.

Biodiversity is the number of different species of plants and animals contained in an area.  An area with more biodiversity has a greater number of species than one with a lower biodiversity.

Instead of trying to protect the entire Amazon, for example, efforts of various aid organizations can now be focused on the remaining areas of biodiversity.  The Andes and Amazon sport the most biodiverse areas and the center of Papua New Guinea is also one of the most biodiverse areas on the planet.

The report and maps can be downloaded in PDF format from here.

We reported earlier in the week that farmed fish will now be allowed to use the “Organic” label.  This now means that when buying fish, the organic label can’t be trusted anymore.  Why spend the extra for organic when you could be buying a fish that just grew up in a slightly less crowded pen than its non-organic cousins?

These new laws mean it is back to the drawing board for consumers.  Which means that we need our own set of criteria to define ocean-friendly and organic fish.  The new watchword to look for isn’t organic, but wild-caught or wild fish.  All Alaskan salmon is required by law to be wild-caught and not farmed, so you can virtually be guaranteed that if you are buying Alaskan salmon, you aren’t buying a farmed fish.  Be careful that you aren’t purchasing Atlantic Salmon, as some species are endangered of this fish.

The wild fish label can be found in local specialty meat shops and organic food stores.   On top of looking for wild caught, research the fish name to make sure that it is a sustainable species.  The David Suzuki Foundation has some links to some awesome resources to vet your favourite fish at before you make it a staple.

Until organic standards can be properly hashed out to the satisfaction of the consumer, remembering “Alaskan Salmon” and “Wild” can’t be too hard.

This video gives a very good idea of how fish farms operate in case you were wondering.

While scientists may not be close to cloning dinosaurs, they are one step closer to being able to clone extinct species.  Researchers have successfully cloned mice from frozen cells, a feat once thought impossible due to ice damage of the DNA.  The research was successfully conducted on the cells of mice that had been frozen for 16 years at -20 Celsius.

Ebay is finally getting the ivory out - for good.  Their announcement on October 20 pre-empted the October 21 release of a report by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, “Killing With Keystrokes”, which documents how online auction sites have become a flashpoint for trading in illegal animal parts and objects made from endangered species.  You can download a copy of the report from IFAW’s website.

The video below features highlights from the press conference that IFAW held yesterday.  The audio is not very good - you’ll need to turn up your volume a bit to hear her speak.  One of the highlights is startling - they found roughly 1000 items a week which violated some form of wildlife conservation law.  Here’s a thought - Ebay could hire IFAW to police the site for them.  Wouldn’t both organizations win?  What do you think?