NEWS SOURCE: Tora Johnson Author

BAR HARBOR, ME – June 23 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Several endangered right whales have been found dead in recent months, prompting federal officials to move quickly to propose sweeping new regulations on fisheries and shipping. Whale advocates and fishermen are again at odds in the debate over the critically endangered whale. In her new book, “Entanglements: The Intertwined Fates of Whales and Fishermen,” Tora Johnson digs into the conflict over whale protection and lends insight into new developments. On tour this summer, Johnson will offer background on the issue and discuss recent developments.

Photo Caption: Book Jacket for “Entanglements” by Tora Johnson. Cover image: Bob Bowman.

Topics to be discussed on tour include:

– A spate of whale deaths,

– A billion-dollar lawsuit, and

– Proposed regulations to protect whales from fishing gear and ship strikes

“Tora Johnson has a knack for storytelling, but also a sense of balance in her reporting and an evident commitment to truth-telling. In this compelling book, she confronts one of the thorniest, most searing wildlife-human conflicts of the day.”

— Randall R. Reeves, author of National Audubon Society Guide to Marine Mammals of the World

ABOUT THE BOOK

Centuries of whale-human interaction have led to the crisis explored in this engaging, intimate tale about the battle between conservation, tradition, and economics in the waters of the Atlantic. Entanglements explores the clash of cultures and personalities among fishermen, scientists, and whale advocates struggling to save both the endangered right whale and the livelihoods of thousands of coastal families. Fewer than 400 right whales remain in the North Atlantic, and scientists warn that collisions with fishing gear are contributing to their decline. The political climate surrounding the critically endangered large whale is contentious, complex, and heartrending. Without pointing fingers or laying blame, Tora Johnson explores every side of the issue.

She takes us to sea with fishermen who struggle to stay in business, setting traps and gillnets in the whale’s habitat, and with members of rescue teams who attempt to cut away deadly rope from whales in the wild. Weaving their stories and her personal observations into a discussion of the science and history of the conflict, she offers a balance of perceptions. Her thoughtful discussion presents an authentic microcosm of the conflict between human demands on the environment and nature’s finite capacity for supporting those demands.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tora Johnson teaches human ecology and mapping at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine. She has served on the adjunct faculty of University of Maine at Machias, Massachusetts Maritime Academy and Cape Cod Community College. Also a freelance writer, ship’s captain, and former commercial fisherman, Johnson was the marine reporter for the Martha’s Vineyard Times from 1998 to 2000.

Photo Caption: Tora Johnson, author of “Entanglements.” Photo credit: Donna Ruhlman.

AUTHOR TOUR

Brunswick, ME, Bookland & Cafe: Sunday, June 26, 1pm.

Blue Hill Public Library: Thursday, July 7, 7pm.

Borders in Hyannis, MA: Monday, July 11, 7:30.

Borders in Downtown Boston, MA: Wednesday, July 13, 12:30pm.

Borders in Braintree, MA: Wednesday, July 13, 7:30pm.

Market Street BookShop at Mashpee Commons, MA: Saturday, July 16, 4pm.

Massachusetts Audubon Society’s Duxbury Beach Morning Lecture Series: Tuesday, July 19, 9:30am.

Nantucket, MA, Whaling Museum: Tuesday, July 19, 8pm. Sponsored by Maria Mitchell Observatory and Nantucket Historical Association.

Bangor, ME, Public Library: Wednesday, July 27, 5:30pm.

Belfast, ME, Free Public Library: Tuesday, August 2, 7pm.

Borders in South Portland, ME: Wednesday, August 3, 7:30pm.

RiverRun Bookstore in Portsmouth, NH: Thursday, August 4, 7pm. Co-sponsored by Blue Ocean Society.

Port in a Storm Bookstore, Somesville, ME: Thursday, September 8, 8pm

Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies, MA: (tentative) Tuesday, July 26, 7pm

BOOK SUMMARY:

Entanglements: The Intertwined Fates of Whales and Fishermen by Tora Johnson
University Press of Florida, March 2005
312 pp. 6 X 9. 29 illustrations, bibliography, index.
ISBN: 0-8130-2797-7

More information: www.entanglements.net

News issued by: Tora Johnson, Author

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Original Story ID: (510) :: 2005-06-0623-004

Original Keywords: Tora Johnson, Author, Entanglements: The Intertwined Fates of Whales and Fishermen, University Press of Florida, ISBN: 0-8130-2797-7, book news, fishing, shipping, advocates, conflict, protection, regulations, storytelling, National Audubon Society Guide to Marine Mammals of the World, Randall R. Reeves, nature, environment Tora Johnson, Author

NEWS SOURCE: Tora Johnson Author | Published: 2005-06-23 18:06:00


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