Rufous-tailed scrub-robin. (Yoav Perlman)
Habitat loss, hunting and climate change are taking a serious toll on bird populations in Israel, a leading ornithologist warned this week.
Israel forms a terrestrial bottleneck between wintering grounds in Africa and breeding grounds in Europe and Asia, making it a prime crossing point for some 200 species. Some 500 million birds fly across the country every spring and fall, attracting thousands of birders from all over the world.
However, many flocks that pass through are thinning out due to planetary warming that sends them north to breed earlier than normal, before a full complement of insect prey is available, Yoav Perlman, science director at the Israel Ornithological Center, told an English-language webinar on Sunday.
Screen capture from video of marine biologist Shimrit Perkol-Finkel. (YouTube)
An esteemed marine biologist who pioneered an innovative solution for eco-friendly seawalls was killed in Tel Aviv on Sunday while riding an electric scooter.
Dr. Shimrit Perkol-Finkel, 45, was riding down Hamasger Street when she was struck by a passing truck. The driver, a 30-year-old resident of Tira, was called in for questioning by the police. She is survived by her husband and three children.
Her husband, Kobi Perkol-Finkel, speaking Monday, said that “Shimrit pushed for a change in worldview.”
“Israel was too small for her, most of the business she did was abroad,” he told the Ynet news site. “Her concept was that what went into the water should be green and help the sea. Shimrit wanted to contribute, help and change.”
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Media assertions that \'Israel\' accused Iran of environmental terrorism are belied by the fact that just one Israeli official leveled the accusation: junior Minister
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According to Environmental Protection Ministry, new lumps of tar were found on the beaches from Kiryat Yam to Tirat Carmel in the northern district of the country.
This comes after the government warned the population to avoid the shoreline after the leak occurred around three weeks ago.
Haaretz.com s Daniel Guri de Lima raps the news.Credit: Haaretz.
An estimated 1,000 tons of black tar from the leak washed up on over 90 percent of the country s 195 kilometer (120 mile) coastline in February, but the source of the spillage remains contested.
Last week, Environmental Protection Minister Gila Gamliel accused Iran for the attack after authorities identified a likely culprit in the Libyan-owned oil tanker, Emerald. This opinion was not shared by Israel s military intelligence, and officials in Gamliel s ministry distanced themselves from her statement at the time.