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This is the communication link that will keep you informed of the progress of the
Save Our Seas Foundation Maxine, Science, Education & Awareness Programme (SOS Foundation M-Sea), a joint AOCA and Two Oceans Aquarium conservation programme sponsored
by Save Our Seas Foundation. It focuses on the release of an extraordinary ragged tooth shark, named Maxine, from
the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town, South Africa in March 2004. Updates will include the progress of the programme
including Maxine’s actual journey monitored by her tags, as well as the progress of the one-hour documentary
film crew who will be travelling along Maxine’s breeding migratory path to document her history and attempt
to track her during the same period until her tags surface months later.
Pilot Whales Beached and Killed
On Saturday 55 false killer whales beached on Kommetjie beach in Cape Town, South Africa. No representative of AOCA was present but AOCA volunteers informed us that what followed was a massive amount of uncoordinated effort, and little understanding on how to deal with the situation. Much mayhem ensued, hundreds of people were trying to save the whales, emotions ran high and escalated when a decision was made by MCM (government department of fisheries) to shoot the whales early afternoon. Many people who had painstakingly made huge efforts to rescue the whales (about 10 were successfully returned to the ocean) felt devastated that they were not given more time and that the decision to kill them was made prematurely. Added to this, that the animals were shot behind a human barrier of people, some only children, who were summoned to assist in preventing the onlookers, including children, to witness the killing, has been severely criticized. AOCA has received numerous calls from distraught and emotionally traumatised people and the incident has reached international levels. Sea Shepherd have got involved, and many other individuals have reached out to the press and are demanding an investigation into the whole event. Clearly it appears that many mistakes were made, that there was no co-coordinated effort, very few with any training whatsoever to deal with the magnitude of the stranding, and some decisions were not carefully considered before being made.
AOCA has been in a number of meetings regarding this and will keep you informed.
Till later,
Lesley Rochat
AOCA Founder
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