Latest news with #KenDonnelly
RTÉ News
09-08-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Heraty kidnapping comes amid crisis and violence in Haiti
The kidnapping of Irish woman Gena Heraty along with seven others from an orphanage in Haiti last weekend comes against the backdrop of a rise in violence, kidnappings and exploitation in a country falling further into gang control. The UN estimates 90% of the capital Port-au-Prince is controlled by organised criminal groups. This expansion of gang activity in the country of nearly 12 million people has seen the state's capacity to govern rapidly shrink. Here, Ken Donnelly examines the current situation in Haiti and recalls Gena Heraty's outlook on the Caribbean nation in her own words. At 1am on 7 July 2021, a group of 28 gunmen stormed the presidential palace in Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince and assassinated Haitian President Jovenel Moïse. Haiti has not had a president in the more than four years since. While gang violence has been a constant presence for decades, the killing of Mr Moïse left a power vacuum which has allowed criminal groups to gain a further stronghold across the country. The unelected Transitional Presidential Council which has run the country in the intervening years has struggled to maintain control with much of the country now run by paramilitary groups and vigilantes. The Viv Ansanm group, formed in recent years as a coalition of the main gang factions in the capital, has repeatedly tried to overthrow the government and has launched consistent attacks. In the first six months of this year, 3,137 people have been killed in armed violence in Haiti. A UN report on violence in Haiti earlier this year outlined how gang members continued to resort to murders, gang rapes and kidnappings to maintain their control over populations living in areas under their influence. Cases of sexual slavery, sexual exploitation, child trafficking and exploitation were also documented in the report. Gang activities have also restricted access to basic services including health care and education while hundreds of buildings, including a hospital and three schools, have been ransacked, vandalised or burned by gangs in the first quarter of this year. The UN report also described an increasingly violent environment in which many children lack role models and perceive gang members as examples of social and economic success in their neighbourhoods. "There are more kidnappings in Haiti than anywhere else in the world at the moment." As of 30 June, more than 1.3m people in Haiti were displaced, an increase of 85% since September 2024. It is against this background of armed violence, humanitarian crisis and political instability that the kidnapping of Irish woman Gena Heraty must be understood. Ms Heraty was abducted along with seven others and a child from an orphanage in the Kenscoff area of Haiti last weekend. Efforts are ongoing to secure the release of all those kidnapped. In the first half of the year alone, at least 346 people have been kidnapped in Haiti, with 1,494 people kidnapped last year. These figures are likely to be underestimations as many families of kidnapping victims choose not to report them to police and opt to negotiate directly with kidnappers. "There are more kidnappings in Haiti than anywhere else in the world at the moment." Those were the words of Ms Heraty herself, speaking in June 2023 to Miriam O'Callaghan on RTÉ radio. Just ten days ago, five UNICEF employees were released after being held by a gang for three weeks. Kenscoff - a site of increased violence A native of Carrowrevagh near Westport in Co Mayo, Ms Heraty oversees the Sainte-Hélène orphanage in the commune of Kenscoff, about 10km southeast of the capital Port-au-Prince. Since the start of this year, Kenscoff has found itself in the crosshairs of the Viv Ansanm gang, which has already taken control of several other localities. The UN has noted a specific targeting of Kenscoff this year with at least 262 people having been killed there in attacks between January and March. The UN said gang members displayed "extreme brutality, aiming to instill fear within the population". I think if I was a worrier I wouldn't be able to do what I do every day. I wouldn't get in the car." "They executed men, women, and children inside their homes and shot others on roads and paths as they tried to flee the violence, including an infant. "Sexual violence was also committed against at least seven women and young girls during the planning and execution of the attacks," the UN said in a flash report on violence in Kenscoff. Speaking in June 2023, Ms Heraty said she did not worry about her own safety, despite the immense danger faced every day. "Everybody is pretty much traumatised, because you don't know when you get in your car in the morning that you are going to make it to work safely. "We know lots of people that have been kidnapped, we know people that have been shot, we know people that have had guns pulled on them, we know people who have been kidnapped, and they haven't come back. "I worry about the people that I work with. Do I worry about myself? No. "That's not to say I think nothing will happen to me. I think if I was a worrier I wouldn't be able to do what I do every day. I wouldn't get in the car." Ms Heraty recalled situation where a local bus was stopped by gang members who boarded the bus, emptied a bag of sweet potatoes that one woman had in her possession and trampled on them. The woman complained to the gang members, asking how she would feed her kids. The gang members then shot the woman dead on the bus. "That was awful, it was terrible, but the sad thing is that there are so many people being killed. "There are more people being killed in Haiti than in Ukraine," Ms Heraty said. Organisations continue to fight for 'a just Haiti' Ms Heraty dedicates herself to the care of children with disabilities who have been abandoned, and works at a facility operated by the humanitarian organisation Nos Petits Frères et Soeurs (NPH). Throughout her conversation with Miriam O'Callaghan, Ms Heraty was keen to shift the focus away from her and towards the plight of those she cares for and works with. "These children had been abandoned, typically in hospitals, because in Haiti there are no services, there is no social welfare. "You have to try and imagine somebody with a child with severe disabilities, they don't have access to healthcare, they don't have access to wheelchairs. "They are abandoned not because the parents don't care about them, but because they don't have the resources. "My basic rule of thumb was if I was in the place of this child, what would I want?" Ms Heraty said that her and her team would take precautions and would avoid places which have had reports of shootings. The majority of kidnappings in Haiti occur on roads, boats or at victims' homes. It is common for gangs to stop public transport vehicles and abduct those onboard. Ms Heraty said while she could choose to work from her home, she worried specifically about staff that are on the road every single day. "I don't consider myself a saint, I consider myself very lucky because I have found something in life that I absolutely love, and the positive side of it also is that I am actually doing some good." "Several of them have been held up, guns put to them, and they are traumatised. I am not one to exaggerate, but they are traumatised." People being kidnapped from their place of work is less common. However, this is precisely what happened to Ms Heraty last week. Members of a gang entered the Sainte-Hélène orphanage located in Tèt Bwa-Pen in Obleon in Kenscoff at 3am on the morning of 3 August. They abducted eight people including Ms Heraty and a three-year-old child in what the NPH described as a "heinous" act. In response to the kidnapping, staff at hospitals run by NPH and a separate organisation, the St Luke Foundation, announced they would be closing all of their institutions across Haiti until the kidnapped individuals are freed unconditionally. "We say NO to impunity, NO to indifference, NO to the banalization of terror. "We will not back down. We will continue to fight for a just Haiti, where there is respect for human dignity and life," the organisations said in a statement. It is clear from her previous statements and testimonies from friends and family that Ms Heraty is equally committed to the cause of justice and progress in Haiti, despite the wave of violence and political instability. "When I'm getting ready to go back to Haiti I'll be as excited as I was the first day. Because I love what I'm doing, I love the children, I love the people I work with," Ms Heraty said, speaking at the end of her interview with Miriam O'Callaghan. "If you are lucky in life you find something that you enjoy doing. "I don't consider myself a saint, I consider myself very lucky because I have found something in life that I absolutely love, and the positive side of it also is that I am actually doing some good. "What's nicer than seeing things progress? It's beautiful. "Yes, I'm in danger from time to time, and compared to Ireland yes. "But compared to the men and the women that I'm working with. Can you imagine having a child with severe disabilities in the middle of all of that? "They're the ones that give me inspiration. I'm not going to get discouraged when I'm living with people like that."
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Experts issue warning about invasive fish that can survive out of water
An invasive species of fish that can live out of water has been found lurking in Canada, experts warn. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada confirmed reports of Misgurnus anguillicaudatus -- also known as the Oriental Weatherfish or the pond loach -- in the LaHave River near New Germany, Nova Scotia. This is the first time the species, which can survive on land, has been observed in the wild in the Maritimes region in eastern Canada, according to the Nova Scotia Invasive Species Council. MORE: Florida biologists prove invasive Burmese pythons are swallowing deer, alligators whole The invasive species poses a "significant threat" when introduced to native ecosystems, officials said. The pond loach can reduce aquatic insect biodiversity and compete with native fish species for food and spawning habitat. They are also known to carry parasites and pathogens that are harmful to both wildlife and humans, according to the Nova Scotia Invasive Species Council. The pond loach is a common aquarium species and likely was released into the ecosystem, which is illegal in Canada, officials said. It has a long, eel-like body and can grow to nearly 10 inches in length. The species typically lives in shallow freshwater ecosystems with muddy or silty floors. MORE: Invasive ocean species detected in Florida waters, scientists say They can survive on land for short periods due to their ability to breathe air and tolerate low-oxygen conditions, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The species can propagate quickly because they are asexual and can breed young on their own. The specimen that was found was a single egg-carrying female, according to reports. "We don't know if there are any others," Ken Donnelly, the supervisor of the Nova Scotia Invasive Species Council, told the Chronicle Herald, a newspaper based in Halifax. "We certainly hope not." Its presence was reported as a result of citizen science, according to the Nova Scotia Invasive Species Council. A witness entered an account into iNaturalist, a scientific organization that helps to identify species, officials said. MORE: Northern snakehead fish, invasive species that can survive on land, found in Georgia The global economic cost of invasive species over the past 60 years has amounted to about $35 billion annually -- a similar figure to the global costs of extreme weather events attributable to climate change, according to a paper published last month in Nature Ecology & Evolution. North America has likely experienced a cumulative loss of $285 billion in the last six decades as a result of invasive species, the researchers said. Invasive plant species such as the butterfly bush, the water hyacinth and water primrose were found to be the group resulting in the highest total estimated cost over the past 60 years, at $926.38 billion, according to the paper. Arthropods and mammals had the next-highest estimated costs, at $830.29 billion and $263.35 billion, respectively. In addition, biological invasions have contributed to about 60% of recorded global extinctions, the researchers said.
23-06-2025
- Science
Experts issue warning about invasive fish that can survive out of water
An invasive species of fish that can live out of water has been found lurking in Canada, experts warn. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada confirmed reports of Misgurnus anguillicaudatus -- also known as the Oriental Weatherfish or the pond loach -- in the LaHave River near New Germany, Nova Scotia. This is the first time the species, which can survive on land, has been observed in the wild in the Maritimes region in eastern Canada, according to the Nova Scotia Invasive Species Council. The invasive species poses a "significant threat" when introduced to native ecosystems, officials said. The pond loach can reduce aquatic insect biodiversity and compete with native fish species for food and spawning habitat. They are also known to carry parasites and pathogens that are harmful to both wildlife and humans, according to the Nova Scotia Invasive Species Council. The pond loach is a common aquarium species and likely was released into the ecosystem, which is illegal in Canada, officials said. It has a long, eel-like body and can grow to nearly 10 inches in length. The species typically lives in shallow freshwater ecosystems with muddy or silty floors. They can survive on land for short periods due to their ability to breathe air and tolerate low-oxygen conditions, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The species can propagate quickly because they are asexual and can breed young on their own. The specimen that was found was a single egg-carrying female, according to reports. "We don't know if there are any others," Ken Donnelly, the supervisor of the Nova Scotia Invasive Species Council, told the Chronicle Herald, a newspaper based in Halifax. "We certainly hope not." Its presence was reported as a result of citizen science, according to the Nova Scotia Invasive Species Council. A witness entered an account into iNaturalist, a scientific organization that helps to identify species, officials said. The global economic cost of invasive species over the past 60 years has amounted to about $35 billion annually -- a similar figure to the global costs of extreme weather events attributable to climate change, according to a paper published last month in Nature Ecology & Evolution. North America has likely experienced a cumulative loss of $285 billion in the last six decades as a result of invasive species, the researchers said. Invasive plant species such as the butterfly bush, the water hyacinth and water primrose were found to be the group resulting in the highest total estimated cost over the past 60 years, at $926.38 billion, according to the paper. Arthropods and mammals had the next-highest estimated costs, at $830.29 billion and $263.35 billion, respectively.
CBC
21-06-2025
- General
- CBC
Invasive snail creeps up on Nova Scotia lakes, ponds
Social Sharing At seven centimetres, the Chinese mystery snail may look big for an aquatic snail. But it's fairly unassuming. However, Ken Donnelly of the Nova Scotia Invasive Species Council says this species can quickly outcompete other snails and change the water quality of ponds and lakes, making it a concern for Nova Scotian ecosystems. Donnelly says they are being seen more often over the past month. He said even his organization was surprised when it found several of the snails in its fishnets on a recent trip. "It would be hard to count them all, but they are definitely prevalent," said Donnelly. "The growth in reports is pretty significant. We're getting more and more of them. So we're concerned that there may be many more than we know about." They were first reported in Ontario more than 90 years ago and have been slowly making their way around the country, Donnelly said. They seem to be mostly in the Halifax and Dartmouth areas, he said, but some have been observed near Annapolis Royal and as far as Sydney. Donnelly said the snails are sold in pet stores, which may be how they got into the ecosystem. Jerry Wang, owner of Shrimp Lover & Tropical Fish in Dartmouth, says anyone purchasing snails, or any imported species for that matter, should not release them into the wild — even if they are dead. Some aquarium keepers can end up with too many of the snails. Wang said that leads some to consider getting rid of them by any means necessary. A single female can produce as many as 130 babies at once. He warns owners about disposal methods that could lead to their introduction into the wild. "Please, if you don't like it, don't dispose of it in the river or flushing the toilet," said Wang. "Bring to the closest local fish store. "Their lifespan is not that long. So if you have a fish store, they will keep them until they peacefully die off." Other provinces deal with this snail differently from Nova Scotia. It's illegal to possess, release, sell or transport the snail in Alberta. Once the snail becomes established in an ecosystem, it is hard to get rid of them. According to the Canadian Invasive Species Centre, molluscicides used to manage similar species have shown to be ineffective in the control of the Chinese mystery snails. Donnelly says the chemicals could also affect other native species, so their use is not recommended. Instead, Donnelly says containment is the best practice when the snail has already been established in an ecosystem. "It's possible that a Chinese mystery snail might attach to their fishing boots or their equipment," he said. "So they should look at them, clean their equipment, and make sure there's nothing that's hitching a ride." He encourages people to stay alert when fishing, kayaking or swimming at your local pond or lake. Nova Scotians who believe they might have spotted these aquatic snails should take a photo, note the location where they found them and call DFO Maritimes.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Invasive fish species reported in Nova Scotia for first time, DFO says
An invasive fish species has been found in a small waterway north of New Germany, N.S., according to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. A single egg-bearing Oriental weatherfish, also known as pond loach, was discovered in Morgans Falls last month. The fish originate in East Asia, and this is the first time the species has been reported in the Maritimes. DFO said the fish was likely introduced after being released from an aquarium. Ken Donnelly, the supervisor of the Nova Scotia Invasive Species Council, said when an invasive species makes its way into ecosystems, it's often due to human activity. He said pond loach are a popular aquarium species and can cause issues when released into bodies of water the fish aren't known to be in. "There are good intentions by people when they let animals go into the wild," Donnelly said, "but they should never, never do it. It's just a recipe for disaster." Donnelly said releasing a new species can cause habitat destruction and unnecessary competition for food and resources, which in turn can reduce populations. Pond loaches are freshwater fish described as having an elongated, eel-like body, with a small mouth that has six to eight barbels, or whiskers. The fish are light brown to green with scattered dark speckles and a light underbelly. In a statement, DFO said pond loach has also been reported in southern British Columbia, but they are not aware of its presence anywhere else in Canada. Unless authorized by law, it's illegal to release an aquatic species into a body of water that it's not native to. MORE TOP STORIES
