May...be

Well May has been decidely average really until the last few days...specially after the fabulous weather of April,still there is now a kiss of summer in the air methinks...wo-hoo!!!!

So what's been happening on the kimmy-go-round? Well I made my decision to return to Thailand to teach diving again come high season. I am financially no better off than when I stopped living there, due to the high cost of living as a single person in Brighton. So I figure if that's the case then its time to return to what, where and who I love. I miss diving, the lifestyle and my friends there every day. It has defo. been the right decision, I feel as if an invisible weight (or lead soup) has been lifted from me and am so buzzy, altho obviously now I'm impatient;) So am currently in the process of applying for a 6/7 month sabbatical from work, which'd mean I have the option to return here next uk summer and make some cash again if I so please. Having said that once my mind is set that's it, so I'm going even if they say no. Still I'll blather on about work momentarily no doubt (in essence I am sooo over my job now).

Obviously Another highlight for me was Chelsea winning the F.A. Cup and generally having a lovely weekend with the Babe and Sista...cheers guys X. This was made even more enjoyable since Babe is a kop fan and had sent me a somewhat dismissive email about how the F.A. cup this year was just really a play-off for 3rd and 4th places in the Champions League, and them then losing this evening...hehehe!!! At least we got something this season son!!!

Lovely lady Clare has now arrived UK-side and I'm muchly looking forward to some quality girlie time come bank holiday monday...shopping, food, sun, gossip. And we decided to escape to Sharm el Sheik (Egypt) for a week's diving and 5* luxury with Leo and Twila at the start of June so am uber-excited!!!! The 4 of us all back together and diving, hurrah!!!! Should be amazing...especially since I've been totally stuck in diving headspace since returning from Thailand.

An escape from work is sorely required, I have so little tolerance or patience at the moment, and each month await which new policy or pay change or whatever the management will devise to make my job even more difficult. The latest is a decision that when we work overtime on nights we no longer get paid enhancements for doing so, enhancements being applicable to unsociable hours, all od which a night shift is. So I get £12 ish less an overtime shift now than I have for the last 3 years...genius! I remeber an ex-collegue of mine referring to the management here as a bunch of do-gooders that do no good, and sweet baby je-he-sus I agree. The night shift is an invisible shift...most problems, crises etc., occur at night and we get on and deal with it as it happens without the ahem "benefit" of management or admin or extra staff being around. The incidents on a night shift are generally more severe than of a day, yet really none of it actually happens because the day staff and management aren't here, or the residents that cause us constant difficulty at night aren't like that during the day...tossers!!! Getting the picture? Yes Kimi has had more than enough abuse and weak management and its not as if this job'll ever go anywhere...aaaaaaaand breath. Okay mini-rant over.

And lastly welcome to the world Angel Elizabeth, born on 9th May, sawadee ka and congratulations to Mr Boucher.

The Great White Shark Song- Inspired!!!

Enough said...here I go again...

Sustainable Fishing: Marine Reserves

The North Sea might not be as glamorous as the Pacific or the Indian Ocean, but it's a vital marine habitat that is at risk from over-fishing and destructive fishing methods. For instance, North Sea cod are in trouble. Despite being one of Britain's best-loved foods, in the past two decades their numbers have dwindled to the point where they are facing total collapse.

The Arctic Sunrise is campaigning for large areas of this degraded sea to be turned into marine reserves - national parks at sea where all marine life, including cod, can get some respite from the ravages of commercial fishing. Only by setting aside large areas of our oceans can we protect their ecosystems and allow them to recover and thrive. It would also ensure a future for a sustainable fishing industry for generations to come.

For the latest news from the ship and to send messages to the crew, read the North Sea Tour blog (click the link in my fav. blogs section)

For the past seven years, EU scientists have recommended that, to give stocks time to recover, no cod should be fished at all. But the fishing industry, even though it's no longer a significant contributor to the UK economy, remains a potent political force and so nothing is done.

Now, at long last, some practical measures are being discussed which could improve the situation: the EU Marine Strategy Directive and the UK Marine Bill both contain measures that could result in much more coherent controls on all human activities at sea, protecting the marine environment and the species that depend on it.

We think that as much as 40 per cent of the North Sea needs to be protected if recovery is to be successful, but neither the EU or the UK government has shown any signs of committing to such large reserves.

If they don't, there will probably be no fishing industry to speak of in a few decades. And we're not the only ones who think something must be done; recently the Royal Commission on Environmental Protection declared that 30 per cent of all UK waters should be designated no-take zones.

Despite this, the fishing and other industries are lobbying hard to weaken environmental protection proposals in both the EU directive and the Marine Bill. Environment secretary David Miliband is working on both and so is perfectly positioned to push for large marine reserves - write to him now.

Supermarkets and sustainable fishing

MCS Sustainable Supermarket Survey - Supermarkets Tackling The Issue Of Sourcing Sustainable Fish

The latest Sustainable Supermarket League Table has recently been published by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) as part of its continuing Consumer Awareness campaign. The Table is based on the performance of the main UK supermarkets against various criteria, including the policies that shape their buying decisions and the sustainability of the fish they sell. Since last year's survey (published in March 2006) a number of fish identified by MCS as from unsustainable sources have been "delisted", or removed from sale by various supermarkets. Full details can be viewed at www.fishonline.org.

Waitrose and Marks and Spencer are placed jointly at the top of the League Table. Both companies are strongly committed to sustainability and have a reputation for only selling fish from responsibly managed fisheries. Tesco and Sainsbury’s are placed third and fourth respectively.

Marks and Spencer, Waitrose and Morrisons all have the distinction of not selling any fish from the MCS List of Fish to Avoid. Waitrose sells the greatest number of fish from the MCS Fish to Eat List (26 species), followed by Morrisons (22 species) and Tesco (20 species).

The MCS consumer awareness campaign continues to be immensely successful in achieving positive change. Many kinds of fish from over-exploited stocks have been removed from sale by a number of supermarkets, and the sale of fish products from sustainable sources has grown with the informed consumer's demand.

Species of concern still on sale in some supermarkets include marlin, Atlantic cod from overfished stocks such as the Eastern Baltic, plaice from the North Sea, warm-water prawns trawled in the wild, and Dover sole from the Eastern Channel.

Labelling of fish products is one area in particular where MCS considers all supermarkets could improve. MCS would like to see all fish products labelled with their common and scientific name; specific area and method of capture; and an indication of its sustainability through, for example, eco-labelling, allowing the consumer to make fully informed decisions about the seafood they buy. Morrisons has made significant improvements to it’s labelling of counter fish since last years survey which now includes scientific name and method of capture.

MCS Supermarket League Table 2007

First Place (Joint): Marks and Spencer, Waitrose
Third Place: Tesco
Fourth Place: Sainsbury’s
Fifth Place: ASDA
Sixth Place: Morrisons
Seventh place: Co-Op
Eighth Place: Iceland
No response received from: Somerfield

Diving piccies: Sipidan and Phi Phi

Check out these photo albums, all taken by Lisa from Blue View Divers. There are some truly astounding piccies of both Phi Phi and Sipidan, where she's just returnrd from a wee birthday break.

Sipidan


Ko Phi Phi

Treehugger alert...whales again!!!

The challenge - on May 27th, join other whale defenders in a global gathering to support the whales - by taking to the streets for the Big Blue March. It's a simple task - make contact with other whale defenders, and get together in your city or town wearing a blue t-shirt to form a Sea of People!

Why May 27th? While the Big Blue March takes place, the International Whaling Commission Meeting (IWC) will be in session in Anchorage, Alaska. At the IWC, diplomats from around the world make crucial decisions on the fate of whales throughout in our oceans.

At last year's meeting, 33 countries - led by pro-whaling Japan - voted in favour of the "St. Kitts Declaration", essentially an attempt to restart commercial whaling, which has been banned since 1986.

Since then, whale defenders - like you - have been busy, helping to motivate countries around the world to protect the whales. Really busy! Recent months have seen several countries joining or rejoining, like Peru, Cyprus, Slovenia, Croatia, Costa Rica and Ecuador - or even swapping sides to vote for the whales, like Nicaragua.

Last week, Ecuador decided to rejoin the IWC - and to vote for the whales. Last year, Nicaragua was one of the countries voting for commercial whaling - now's on the whales' side. The decisions of these governments have been massively influenced by people who signed petitions, sent emails and artwork to the government of Ecuador, or turned up on the doorstep of Nicaraguan embassies with massive cut-out whale flukes to form a symbolic "whale graveyard". In Iceland, where the whaling ban has been ignored, the government is now in a quandry over the future of whaling, following sustained pressure - more than 70,000 people have signed a pledge promising to visit Iceland if the government stops whaling. With every tourist worth about US$1,169 to Iceland's economy, is it any wonder that the government is pausing for thought?