MLB: Trout inspires Angels
Mike Trout is soaked after hitting for the cycle Mike Trout hit for the cycle and Jerome Williams pitched eight scoreless innings as the Los Angeles Angels cruised to a 12-0 win over the Seattle Mariners.
Trout, who drove in five and scored twice, singled in the third, tripled in the fourth doubled in the sixth and homered in the eighth off Seattle reliever Lucas Luetge to complete the sixth cycle in Angels history.
Trout’s big day, which got off to an unpromising start when he struck out in the first, overshadowed a stellar outing from Williams, who scattered six hits, striking out six and walking two for his third win of the year.
Nate McLouth homered to lead off the bottom of the 10th, giving the Baltimore Orioles a 3-2 walk-off win over the New York Yankees.
Chris Dickerson went yard twice for the Orioles, who used three solo shots to snap their losing streak at six games.
Travis Hafner drove in both the Yankees’ runs.
Jose Quintana pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings as the Chicago White Sox beat the Boston Red Sox 3-1, while Max Scherzer hurled eight stellar innings, including a run of retiring 22 straight batters after giving up a first-inning run, to lift the Detroit Tigers to a 5-1 win over the Cleveland Indians.
Travis Snider pinch hit a grand slam as the Pittsburgh Pirates rallied for a 5-4 win over the Chicago Cubs, while rookie Dan Straily pitched seven scoreless innings and Yoenis Cespedes homered as the Oakland Athletics beat the Texas Rangers 1-0.
The Atlanta Braves claimed their fifth straight win, walking off on Freddie Freeman’s RBI bloop single in the 10th for a 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins.
Evan Gattis had homered in the ninth to send the game into extras.
The Colorado Rockies also claimed a 10-inning 5-4 walk-off win as Wilin Rosario’s RBI single killed off the Arizona Diamondbacks, while Mike Leake tossed seven shutout frames and Devin Mesoraco homered to help the Cincinnati Reds beat the New York Mets 4-0.
Daniel Descalso crushed a grand slam in the eighth as the St Louis Cardinals beat the San Diego Padres 10-2, while Kelly Johnson and Desmond Jennings both went yard in the Tampa Bay Rays’ 4-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays and the Philadelphia Phillies were 7-3 winners over the Miami Marlins.
The Kansas City Royals claimed their first win in five, beating the Houston Astros 7-3, the Milwaukee Brewers overcame the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-2, while the San Francisco Giants edged out the Washington Nationals 4-2 in the 10th inning.
Mariano Rivera’s 17th straight save gives Yankees win over Orioles
Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter argues an out call at first base with umpire Eric Cooper.
Photograph: Doug Kapustin/Reuters A tense American League East duel between the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles revealed the strengths and weaknesses of each team on Monday night, as the Yankees won 6-4 in 10 innings.
The result extended Baltimore’s losing streak to six games, and it became apparent why New York leads the division and the Orioles are mired in their longest skid in nearly a year.
Both showed their hitting prowess.
Both played solid defense.
The difference was that the Orioles got another poor performance from the back end of their bullpen, and New York got a typically strong outing from closer Mariano Rivera.
New York trailed 4-3 in the ninth before Travis Hafner homered with one out on a 3-1 pitch from Jim Johnson, who has blown three straight save opportunities after converting a club-record 35 in a row.
All three of those botched saves have come during Baltimore’s current slide.
Pedro Strop then gave up two runs in the 10th to complete the collapse.
After that, Rivera breezed through a 1-2-3 inning for his 17th save in 17 tries.
“Believe me, I don’t take him for granted,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said of Rivera.
“It’s hard to do it year after year after year.
You’re going to see guys go through some ups and downs, but Mo doesn’t go through a lot.” Neither did Johnson until last week, when he blew ninth-inning leads against San Diego and Tampa Bay before collapsing against the Yankees.
Ryan Vogelsong broke his throwing hand on a swing after pitching himself toward his first win in seven starts as the San Francisco Giants returned from a terrible road trip to beat the Washington Nationals 8-0.
The right-hander fouled a ball off his right hand in the bottom of the fifth and grimaced in pain while grabbing the hand.
He was quickly examined near the batter’s box and left the game.
The Giants later announced the injury.
Yan Gomes hit a three-run homer in the 10th inning as the Cleveland Indians , twice revived by Seattle Mariners fielding errors, won 10-8 to complete a four-game sweep.
Gomes drove a 3-2 pitch from Charlie Furbush (0-3) over the wall in left, giving the Indians their fifth straight win and third walk-off over the Mariners in four days.
As Gomes reached the plate he was mobbed by his teammates following an improbable win that came after Cleveland’s bullpen gave up homers in three consecutive innings.
It was the Indians’ first four-game sweep of Seattle since 1981, and the comeback gave Cleveland its 18th win in 22 games.
In other AL Games, Edwin Encarnacion hit a tiebreaking, bases-loaded double in the seventh inning as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay Rays 7-5, the Chicago White Sox beat the Boston Red Sox 6-4 at Chicago, the Houston Astros edged the Kansas City Royals 6-5 at Houston and Seth Smith homered and scored three times as the Oakland Athletics beat the Texas Rangers 9-2.
In the National League, Clayton Kershaw scattered three singles in his second complete game of the year and Matt Kemp hit his first home run since April 24, lifting the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 3-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers .
The Cincinnati Reds edged the New York Mets 4-3 in New York when Jay Bruce hit a tiebreaking homer and an RBI double to back Johnny Cueto’s wild but effective return from the disabled list.
The Miami Marlins had a 5-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Colorado Rockies by the same margin, with Patrick Corbin tossing a three-hitter for his first complete game and striking out a career-high 10.
In interleague play, Julio Teheran pitched into the ninth inning and Dan Uggla hit a three-run homer in the first as the Atlanta Braves beat the struggling Minnesota Twins 5-1 for its fourth straight victory.
Impacts of Worldwide Illegal Fishing
Illegal fishing is a big problem facing the global fishing industry. A report1 by the ocean conservation group, Oceana2, released earlier this month, found that illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing accounts for 20 percent (11 to 25 million metric tons of fish) of the global catch. IUU fishing contributes to economic losses of $10 to $23 billion, and threatens the 260 million global jobs that are dependent on marine fisheries.
Released during the 2013 Managing Our Nation s Fisheries Conference in Washington, D.C., the report calls IUU fishing a major threat to the oceans, consumers and seafood businesses around the world.
The sheer size of the problem of IUU fishing becomes clear when you look at some of the examples cited in the report:
- Three to four times more sharks are killed than official reports claim, as the shark fin trade in Hong Kong suggests, which yields $292 to $476 million in shark fin sales.
- Illegally caught Russian sockeye salmon is estimated to be 60 to 90 percent above report levels, which represents economic losses of $40 to $74 million.
- Illegal catches of Chilean sea bass are estimated to be 5 to 10 times greater than is officially reported.
- Half of the swordfish in Greece and cod in the UK are estimated to be illegally caught.
- Black market bluefin tuna may reach $4 billion annually, and the amount of illegally caught fish is estimated to be 5 to 10 times greater than the official catch.
- Illegal catches of skipjack, yellowfin and bigeye tunas are estimated to be $548 million a year.
Why is the amount of IUU fishing so much more than officials realize?
The main culprit, the report finds, is weak enforcement. There is both a lack of government oversight and insufficient regulation. One example clearly illustrates the lack of enforcement: Vessels that have been blacklisted for illegal fishing activities by international organizations are only intercepted at port 25 percent of the time.
Seafood traceability would deter illegal fishing.
Although the EU is currently implementing seafood traceability regulations, the U.S. has no traceability requirements for either domestic or imported seafood and there are few regulations for imports or catch documentation. The majority of U.S.
seafood imports are not inspected or labeled with basic information about when, where and how the fish was caught.
What are needed, according to the report, are centralized data and surveillance systems, online documents and advance notification of landings to allow inspectors to verify the catch. The report recommends that full traceability measures be implemented, plus global information systems need to be created and authorities need to cooperate with each other, particularly the U.S. government and member countries of regional fishery management organizations.
Illegal fishing cheats seafood consumers and hurts honest fishermen and businesses that play by the rules, said Oceana campaign director Beth Lowell3.
If we want to fight pirate fishing, we need to be able to track our seafood supply from boat to plate so we can keep illegally caught fish out of our markets and off of our dinner plates.
Congress introduced several bills addressing IUU fishing and seafood fraud, which include the Safety and Fraud Enforcement for Seafood (SAFE) Act, the International Fisheries Stewardship and Enforcement Act, and the Pirate Fishing Elimination Act.
The SAFE Act4 would ensure that seafood in the U.S.
is tracked from catch to plate.
Scroll down to see comments.
References
MLB: Flying start for Chicago
Adam Dunn: Hit a three-run homer in the first innings Adam Dunn’s three-run homer in the first innings proved key as the Chicago White Sox beat the Boston Red Sox 6-4.
Led by Dunn’s long ball, the White Sox jumped into a 5-0 after two innings to hand Boston starter Jon Lester his first loss of the year, getting all their runs with two outs.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a two-run homer in the third for Boston and Will Middlebrooks pulled them within two with a two-run double in the seventh, but it was not enough to stop their winning streak ending at five matches.
Vernon Wells and Travis Hafner each drove in a run in the 10th to give the New York Yankees a 6-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles.
Hafner had hit one of the Yankees’ four solo homers in the ninth to take the game to extras, with the others coming from Robinson Cano, Lyle Overbay and, with his first in the majors, David Adams.
Chris Davis went yard for the Orioles.
Clayton Kershaw allowed just three hits as he pitched a complete game in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 3-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers.
Scattered Kershaw struck out five and walked one in his second complete game of the season, while Andre Ethier homered and tripled.
Patrick Corbin fanned 10 in the first complete game of his career to lift the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 5-1 win over the Colorado Rockies.
Corbin scattered three hits and walked one for his seventh win of the season, while Didi Gregorius drove in a pair on three hits.
Yan Gomes’ three-run homer in the 10th saw the Cleveland Indians to a 10-8 win over the Seattle Mariners – their third walk-off victory in a four-game sweep.
Ryan Raburn also connected for a three-run shot for the Indians, while Kyle Seager, pinch hitter Endy Chavez and, in the top of the 10th, Justin Smoak all went yard for the Mariners.
RA Dickey went a season-high eight innings, allowing three runs – two earned – for his second straight win as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay Rays 7-5, while Julio Teheran allowed one run in 8 1/3 innings and Dan Uggla smashed a three-run homer in the Atlanta Braves’ 5-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins.
Matt Dominguez belted a three-run shot in the Houston Astros’ 6-5 win over the Kansas City Royals, Will Venable homered as the San Diego Padres’ beat the St Louis Cardinals 4-2 and the San Francisco Giants routed the Washington Nationals 8-0.
The Oakland Athletics were 9-2 winners over the Texas Rangers, the Cincinnati Reds edged out the New York Mets 4-3 and the Miami Marlins overcame the Philadelphia Phillies 5-1.
Study reveals how fishing gear can cause slow death of whales …
Illustration of how North Atlantic right whales get entangled in fishing gear. The gear hinders whales ability to eat and migrate, depletes their energy as they drag gear for months or years, and can result in a slow death. (Ilustration by Graphic Services, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution )
North Atlantic right whale Eg 3911, seen swimming entangled in fishing gear before entanglement response teams arrived. The teams suction-cupped a cell-phone sized device called a Dtag to study how fishing lines changed the whale’s diving and swimming behavior. (Photo courtesy of EcoHealth Alliance, under permit number 594-1759)
In a third attempt to cut away the fishing gear, a multiagency team applied a Dtag on Jan.
15, 2011 then administered a carefully calculated sedative with a dart gun. The becalmed whale allowed the team to approach and remove nearly all the fishing gear. (Photo courtesy of EcoHealth Alliance, under permit number 594-1759)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 21, 2013
(508) 289-3340
Using a patient monitoring device attached to a whale entangled in fishing gear, scientists showed for the first time how fishing lines changed a whale s diving and swimming behavior. The monitoring revealed how fishing gear hinders whales ability to eat and migrate, depletes their energy as they drag gear for months or years, and can result in a slow death.
The scientists in this entanglement response suction-cupped a cellphone-size device called a Dtag to a two-year-old female North Atlantic right whale called Eg 3911.
The Dtag, developed at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), recorded Eg 3911 s movements before, during, and after at-sea disentanglement operations.
Immediately after Eg 3911 was disentangled from most of the fishing gear, she swam faster, dove twice as deep, and for longer periods. The study, by scientists at WHOI, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and NOAA Fisheries, was published online May 21 in the journal Marine Mammal Science.
The Dtag opened up a whole new world of Eg 3911 s life under water that otherwise we weren t able to see, said Julie van der Hoop, lead author of the study and a graduate student in the MIT/WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography.
North Atlantic right whales were nearly eradicated by whaling and remain endangered today, with a population of 450 to 500. About 75 percent bear scars of fishing lines that cut into their flesh.
Born in 2009, Eg 3911 was first sighted entangled and emaciated by an aerial survey team on Christmas Day 2010, near Jacksonville, Florida.
Fishing gear was entangled around her mouth, wrapped around both pectoral fins, and trailed about 100 feet behind her tail.
Teams aboard boats attempted to cut away the fishing gear on Dec.
29 and 30, 2010, but were not successful because the whale was evasive. A multiagency team tried again on Jan.
15, 2011. First, they applied a Dtag.
Then they administered a carefully calculated sedative with a dart gun developed for large whale drug delivery by Paxarms NZ in collaboration with Dr. Michael Moore, director of the Marine Mammal Center at WHOI and a marine mammal veterinarian. The becalmed whale allowed the team to approach and remove nearly all the fishing gear.
The Dtag measured 152 dives that Eg 3911 took over six hours.
There were no significant differences in depth or duration of dives after sedation, but the whale altered its behavior immediately following disentanglement, the scientists reported. The near-complete disentanglement of Eg 3911 resulted in significant increases in dive duration and depth.
Together, the effects of added buoyancy, added drag, and reduced swimming speed due to towing accessory gear pose many threats to entangled whales, the scientists wrote. Buoyant gear may overwhelm animals ability to descend to depths to forage on preferred prey.
Increased drag can reduce swimming speeds, delaying whales timely arrival to feeding or breeding grounds. Most significant, however, is the energy drain associated with added drag, they said.
To calculate that drain, the scientists, in a separate experiment, towed three types of fishing gear from a skiff, using tensiometers to measure the drag forces acting on Eg 3911. They then calculated how much more energy whales would require to compensate for the drag.
The results: Entangled whales have significantly higher energy demands, requiring 70 to 102 percent more power to swim at the same speed unentangled; or alternatively, they need to slow down their swimming speed by 16 to 20.5 percent.
The study provides the first data on the behavioral impacts of sedation and disentanglement and the energetic cost of entanglement in fishing gear due to drag.
On Feb.
1, 2011, an aerial survey observed Eg 3911 dead at sea.
She didn t make it, van der Hoop said. The whale was towed ashore for a necropsy. We showed up on the beach that night.
I remember walking out there and seeing this huge whale, or what I thought was huge. She was only 10 meters long. She was only two years old.
And all these people who had been involved in her life at some point, were there to learn from her what entanglement had caused.
The necropsy showed that effects of the chronic entanglement were the cause of death.
No fisherman wants to catch a whale, and I wish no fisherman a hungry day, said Moore. There needs to be a targeted assessment of how the fishery can still be profitable while deploying less gear so we can reduce the risk of marine mammals encountering fishing gear in the first place. At WHOI, we have hosted workshops talking with fisheries managers and fishermen about what might change so that they can continue to catch fish and stop catching whales.
A dedicated network of scientists, veterinarians, and emergency responders support the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program (MMHSRP), which was formally established under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, is coordinated by NOAA Fisheries Service and coordinates the Atlantic Large Whale Entanglement Response Program.
WHOI scientists have been long-standing contributors to the MMHSRP and routinely participate in rescues for marine mammals that are stranded, injured or entangled.
Response efforts by the network for endangered species, such as North Atlantic right whales, are authorized by NOAA/NMFS Permit No.
932-1905-MA-009526 issued to the MMHSRP.
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is a private, non-profit organization on Cape Cod, Mass., dedicated to marine research, engineering, and higher education.
Established in 1930 on a recommendation from the National Academy of Sciences, its primary mission is to understand the ocean and its interaction with the Earth as a whole, and to communicate a basic understanding of the ocean’s role in the changing global environment.
Originally published: May 21, 2013
Miguel Cabrera hits three home runs but Tigers still lose to Rangers
David Murphy’s three-run shot was barely enough against Miguel Cabrera’s three home runs on Sunday.
Murphy put the Texas Rangers ahead of the Detroit Tigers for good with a drive just over the wall in right field in the sixth inning, helping the Rangers spoil the second three-homer game of Cabrera’s career with an 11-8 victory.
“Very nice to be on the winning side,” Murphy said.
“Big game, fun game, national TV.
We got to witness the best hitter in the game hit three homers.” Cabrera hit a three-run homer in the third and a solo shot in the fifth off Derek Holland, then went deep again in the eighth against Tanner Scheppers.
Cabrera, the 2012 AL Triple Crown winner and MVP and this year’s leader in average and RBIs, went four for four with five RBIs and has 11 homers, one off the AL lead.
Still, the Tigers lost three of four games to the Rangers.
“I’ve never seen a guy that puts the bat head on the ball as regular as he does, and on all pitches,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said.
“He’s just a tremendous hitter.
I’m very happy that he’s headed to the airport.” Murphy’s homer gave the Rangers an 8-7 lead and answered a bases-loaded double from Prince Fielder that put Detroit up by two after the Rangers had walked Cabrera intentionally even though first base wasn’t open.
The go-ahead shot came against Jose Ortega (0-1), who hadn’t allowed a run in six relief appearances covering seven innings.
Robbie Ross (2-0) pitched a scoreless seventh inning for the win, and Joe Nathan worked around a leadoff walk in the ninth for his 13th save.
He has saved all 36 career chances against Detroit.
Elsewhere, Justin Masterson struck out a season-high 11 in seven shutout innings and Michael Brantley homered and drove in four runs off Felix Hernandez as the Cleveland Indians produced a 6-0 win over the Seattle Mariners , and Matt Moore pitched seven innings of five-hit ball to stay unbeaten, while Luke Scott and Matt Joyce homered as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Baltimore Orioles 3-1 for a three-game sweep.
In other American League games, the Boston Red Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 5-1 for its fifth straight win, the Los Angeles Angles beat the Chicago White Sox 6-2 and Yeonis Cespedes hit a leadoff homer in the eighth inning as the Oakland Athletics beat the Kansas City Royals 4-3 in Oakland to complete a three-game sweep.
In the National League, Freddy Galvis and Erik Kratz each homered off closer Aroldis Chapman in the bottom of the ninth innings, helping the Philadelphia Phillies secure a stunning 3-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds .
Chapman (3-2) blew his second straight save opportunity after converting his first eight chances this season.
Ricky Nolasco struck out 11 as the Miami Marlins stopped a season-high seven-game losing streak by holding off the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-1.
The Diamondbacks scored once in the ninth.
Mike Dunn, the Marlins’ third pitcher of the inning, got pinch-hitter AJ Pollock to ground out on a 3-2 pitch with the bases loaded to end it.
The New York Mets earned their first series win at Wrigley Field since 2007 when Daniel Murphy hit a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning for a 4-3 win over the Chicago Cubs .
In other NL matches, the Atlanta Braves had a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers , the St Louis Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-2, the Colorado Rockies defeated the San Francisco Giants 5-0 and the San Diego Padres beat the Washington Nationals 13-4.
In Interleague play, Jeff Locke allowed three hits over seven innings and Pedro Alvarez homered as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Houston Astros 1-0 for their eighth win in 10 games.
MLB: Masterson sinks Mariners
Justin Masterson: Struck out a season-high 11 Justin Masterson allowed just three hits over seven shutout innings and struck out a season-high 11 as the Cleveland Indians overcame the Seattle Mariners 6-0.
Michael Brantley had four RBI and clubbed a three-run homer in the second inning as the American League Central-leading Indians extended their winning streak to four games.
The Boston Red Sox secured their fifth straight win – and condemned the Minnesota Twins to a fifth consecutive loss – by posting a 5-1 victory at Target Field in a game which featured a three-hour rain delay.
John Lackey gave up one run on one hit over six innings while Dustin Pedroia and Will Middlebrooks had homers to help the Red Sox seal a three-game sweep.
The Tampa Bay Rays were 3-1 winners against Baltimore, Matt Moore limiting the Orioles to one run and striking out three over seven innings.
The AL West-leading Texas Rangers toppled the Detroit Tigers 11-8, the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Chicago White Sox 6-2, the Oakland Athletics edged the Kansas City Royals 4-3.
The East-leading New York Yankees’ game against the Toronto Blue Jays was postponed due to rain.
In the National League, back-to-back homers from Erik Kratz and Freddy Galvis off closer Aroldis Chapman in the ninth inning handed the Philadelphia Phillies a 3-2 walk-off win against the Cincinnati Reds.
Miami edged the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-1 to snap a seven-game losing streak.
Ricky Nolasco struck out 11 over eight innings and Marcell Ozuna delivered the decisive two-run double for the Marlins.
Home runs from Kyle Blanks and Will Venable and 6 2/3 solid innings from Andrew Cashner spurred the San Diego Padres to a 13-4 win over the Washington Nationals, while Daniel Murphy’s go-ahead homer in the eighth lifted the New York Mets to a 4-3 success against the Chicago Cubs, and an RBI double from Jon Jay in a four-run fourth inning helped the St Louis Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-2.
The NL East-leading Atlanta Braves saw off the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 and the Colorado Rockies overcame the San Francisco Giants 5-0, while the Pittsburgh Pirates squeezed past the Houston Astros 1-0 in their Interleague clash.
MLB: Joyce shines for Rays
High five: Matt Joyce (right) celebrates with Tampa Bay Rays team-mate Yunel Escobar A homer and five RBI from Matt Joyce led Tampa Bay Rays to a 10-6 victory over American League East rivals Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night.
Joyce blasted a go-ahead two-run double in a six-run ninth-inning rally at Camden Yards to give the Rays a third straight road win and condemn the Orioles to a fourth straight loss.
Robinson Cano smashed a pair of two-run homers as the AL East-leading New York Yankees overcame the Toronto Blue Jays 7-2 at Yankee Stadium.
David Phelps allowed one run over seven solid innings while striking out eight.
The Chicago White Sox’s four-game winning streak ended with a 12-9 defeat against the Los Angeles Angels.
Alberto Callaspo and Mark Trumbo homered for the victors.
David Ortiz had six RBI and two homers in the Boston Red Sox’s 12-5 success against the Minnesota Twins, while Mark Reynolds had three RBI and delivered the game-winning run as the Cleveland Indians squeezed past the Seattle Mariners 5-4.
Also in the American League, the Oakland Athletics beat the Kansas City Royals 2-1 and the Texas Rangers toppled the Detroit Tigers 7-2.
Shutout In the National League, Brandon McCarthy tossed a three-hit shutout as the Arizona Diamondbacks posted a fourth straight win with a 1-0 triumph over Miami – inflicting a seventh consecutive loss on the Marlins.
Bronson Arroyo allowed only five hits while striking out six over 7 2/3 innings and Ryan Hanigan had a three-run homer as the Cincinnati Reds thrashed the Philadelphia Phillies 10-0.
Back-to-back homers from Evan Gattis and Andrelton Simmons in the eighth inning spurred the Atlanta Braves to a 3-1 success against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Scott Feldman threw down 6 2/3 scoreless innings and hit a two-run double for the Chicago Cubs in their 8-2 win over the New York Mets.
In other NL games, the Colorado Rockies were 10-2 winners against the San Francisco Giants, the San Diego Padres edged the Washington Nationals 2-1 and the Milwaukee Brewers saw off the St Louis Cardinals 6-4, while Jason Castro scored the game-winner in the 11th inning as the Houston Astros prevailed 4-2 in their Interleague clash with the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.
Chile investigates alleged case of blast-fishing close to a major …
The picture from Sernapesca shows a beach covered in dead marine life
Two days prior the Movement in Defence of the Environment (MODEMA) reported a group of ten fishing boats off the coastline of Punta de Choros, which apparently were sighted using explosives.
Sernapesca, Chile s National Fishing Service, investigated the scene and determined that all the animals were killed by the same incident. Autopsies report animals with fractured skulls, missing rib cages and multiple abrasions.
Local authorities promptly called in the Investigative Police s (PDI) Environmental Crime Brigade for further investigation. Microbiological and chemical analysis tests are currently being run to determine if blast fishing is the cause of death.
In Chile, blast fishing is illegal.
Companies caught fishing in this manner face prison time and fines. The monetary amount depends on the damage to the ecosystem. However, causing the death of penguins during commercial activities is a offence which can end perpetrators in prison.
Officials from Sernapesca told The Santiago Times that the combined offences amount to a serious crime.
This situation is quite complicated because of the crime scene s location near the penguin reserve, Cristi n Felmer, an environmental expert, stated to the press.
This is one of the most important environmental incidents we ve had in recent memory.
This isn t the first environmental calamity at Punta de Choros. In April of last year, 350 Guayano cormorants washed up on the beach. The next month, Sernapesca reported the deaths of more than 80 sea lions.
In light of the most recent crime, the international marine conservation group Oceana is pushing to have Punta de Choros made a Marine and Coastal Protected Area (AMCP).
The proposal would limit human activity along the more than 175-mile coastline to eco-friendly tourism.
While there are two marine reserves in the area, this ecosystem is much larger and has little protection from threats such as those that apparently killed all these birds, Alex Mu oz, executive director of Oceana, told the media.
Oceana filed a joint proposal with scientists from Universidad Cat lica and the Centre for Advanced Studies in Dry Areas (CEAZA) to make Punta de Choros a AMCP in 2010. The proposal came amid plans to build a thermoelectric power plant in the area. The highly controversial plan was scrapped after generating a wave of protests.
Punta de Choros is a small fishing village of 320 people.
It is also home to the largest population of Humboldt penguins in the world.
The site attracts thousands of tourists annually.
By Jordan Greene – The Santiago Times.
Recent Comments