Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Aussie Croc Troubles-Crikey!

If you have travel around the world like we have you get to see some interesting places like Cairns, Australia. What makes this lush, green, tropical eden unique is that almost every single plant, animal, insect, and marine life will kill you-if given half a chance.

We're not kidding. In the ocean you have Stinger Jellies along with several varieties of sea snakes, on land you have red ants, black ants, mamba snakes, fruit bats, and of course the salt water crocs-which are absolutely everywhere and will even come out of the sink if you leave the water running long enough.

Do not take our word for it, here's a video of a saltie that made it into an anti stinger jelly net and freaked a local swimmer out last week. You have vacation choices people, we suggest going to Cairns with a baseball bat, a 7mm wet suit for day and night wear, and some anti stinger sauce, you'll know the stuff when you smell it.

Aside from that Cairns is a wonderful place:

California Salmon-Going, Going...

If you have followed the somewhat stunning news over the past few weeks, no, not that Hillary Clinton lied about coming under sniper fire in Bosnia, the California Salmon disaster.

Now we have so called experts all vying for a chance to determine why 89% of all salmon stocks have vanished this year.

No one knows the real reasons for the rapid decline but we do know the following:

1. Salmon fishing (both commercial and non commercial) in California is a multi million dollar industry.

2. Salmon populations tell of the overall health of the Pacific Ocean as salmon consume the same feed stock as seals, whales, and dolphins.

2. This eco disaster has long term consequences for the entire California region.

Here's the latest salmon return data from NOAA as you can see it's bad news, compounded by more bad news. What you are looking at is at least a ten year problem if the salmon ever return.