Latest news with #JamesBarnett
BBC News
26-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Stranded pregnant porpoise in Cornwall died in fishing nets
A pregnant porpoise found stranded in Cornwall died after being caught up in commercial fishing nets, a post-mortem examination has found. James Barnett, veterinary investigator for Cornwall Marine Pathology Team, described the examination as the "most distressing he has ever seen"."In nearly 20 years of undertaking this work, I have rarely seen a female so close to term. It was quite emotional for all of us," said Mr called on the government to provide access to acoustic deterrent devices, known as "pingers", which emit sounds to alert porpoises to fishing nets. The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) said vessels over 12m (39ft) were required to use acoustic devices. The porpoise was found by trust volunteers on Good Friday after they were called to Pentewan Beach near St Austell.A post-mortem found the animal had been heavily pregnant with a near-term Barnett said the porpoise displayed "clear signs of entanglement" in monofilament fishing net, also known as gillnets – "a strong indicator of bycatch".Bycatch describes marine creatures trapped by commercial fishing nets during fishing for a different post-mortem was carried out as part of the government-funded Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme. Cornwall Wildlife Trust said increased sightings of small cetaceans, which are marine mammals including dolphins and porpoises, over the last nine years had coincided with more interactions with fishing was estimated to kill more than 1,000 harbour porpoises every year in UK waters alone, it Allen, marine conservation officer at the trust, said: "It's an agonising death for the individuals, and this level of loss is not sustainable for these populations."Urgent" government action was needed to work with fishers, many of whom were "ready" to use the devices, she said. However, the trust said fishers had reported difficulties obtaining licences to use the deterrent devices.A spokesman from the MMO said vessels over 12m (39ft) were required to use acoustic devices, and those outside that requirement must obtain a marine wildlife regard to fishers' difficulties obtaining licences, it said many applications came to the department anonymously without the required details, so they were unable to process said bycatch of porpoise was a concern and new management measures were being explored. 'Campaigned endlessly' Nick West, chairman of the Mevagissey Fisherman's Association, said a trial of the pingers had proven "undeniably effective", with no bycatch recorded on cameras installed on vessels using them West added said they had "campaigned endlessly" for the devices, which they had offered to MMO said options to manage bycatch could include expanding the use of the acoustic deterrent devices, spatial closures or voluntary options, but no decisions had been said it was discussing the options with experts and planned to involve industry leaders later this year to develop a formal proposal for consultation.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Community members celebrate drop in murder rate in Charlotte, says there's still more work to be done
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A Charlotte-based community organization, Stop the Killing Crusade, is celebrating a milestone. Leaders said the city's murder rate is down compared to this time last year. 'When you have a shooting on television, people see that, but they need to also see some good,' said Rev. James Barnett, the organization's founder. On Sunday, members of the religious community gathered at the New Macedonia of Faith church in Charlotte to recognize that their work is paying off in lowering the number of homicides. 'We've lost too many viable, particularly young people, particularly young black men, and we need blacks in high places to step out and say nobody can save us from us but us,' said Barnett. Queen City News is tracking CRIME in your area 🚨 >> His organization aims to combat violence within the black community. 'Everybody in the community knows somebody that has gotten killed, so we need to stop the tears,' he said. For Henry Wheeler, this cause is personal. 'When my grandson got killed and I went out to the scene where he got killed, in my heart I wanted to believe it wasn't my grandson,' he said. 'It's time to make a change, so this won't keep happening.' Those who gathered in this sanctuary had one goal — to lower the murder rate in Charlotte. They're doing so by getting out into the community, talking with people, and passing out buttons and stickers that say 'Stop the Killing.' 'I was in it,' said Amir Shabazz, who attended the event. 'I used to be those same young individuals out there with the guns and the drugs. I used to be that individual, so I think those who have been a part of the problem should be a part of the solution.' While the progress so far is promising, these people recognize that even one homicide is one too many. 'Even just hearing about somebody else's loved one getting killed, it hurts me and my heart,' said Wheeler. The group is planning to have a day of prayer in April to pray for the victims and their families and to pray that our elected officials will make choices to help bring the homicide rates down. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
