Fines for illegal fishing in Europe are a drop in the ocean, the European Union’s executive Commission said on Monday, urging states to punish those who flout the rules by suspending their fishing licences instead.

Three inflatable boats and a tug rescued a 30-tonne whale from a French beach on Wednesday where the mammal had got stuck, the fire brigade said. PLanet Ar

Japan risks a worldwide backlash over plans to expand its annual whale hunt, Australia warned on Tuesday in a letter to Japan’s prime minister, but Tokyo vowed not to bow to foreign pressure. http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/30959/stor

Canada’s harp seal population is growing despite a seasonal hunt off the East Coast that has killed 975,000 young animals over the past three years, officials said on Tuesday.

The second IWDG whalewatching weekend, organised on Tory Island, Co Donegal delivered spectacular sightings of basking sharks and a probable humpback whale !

Australia stepped up diplomatic efforts to stop Japan from increasing its whale hunt on Friday, saying up to 35 countries were opposed to the plan. PLanet

Australia, Britain, the United States and New Zealand will protest to the Japanese government over its annual whale hunt, Australian Prime Minister John Howard said on Monday.

Following the publication of the new IWDG/BIM Boat Users Guide to Cetaceans in the Irish Skipper and Inshore Ireland, the IWDG have had an encouraging response from the fishing industry.

Millions of visitors come to Ireland every year looking for the “black stuff” but now, with oil prices above $50 a barrel, an increasing number are exploring for more than just Guinness.

Seven stranded rough-toothed dolphins swam to freedom 14 miles (22 km) offshore in the Florida Straits on Tuesday as rescue volunteers released them back into deep waters after two months of rehabilitation.