Poaching is the illegal taking of wild plants or animals; the law concerned may be e.g. the law of property or local or international conservation and wildlife management laws. Violations of hunting laws and regulations are normally punishable by law and, collectively, such violations are known as poaching.

Poaching, like smuggling, has a long counter-cultural history, dispassionately reported for England in "Pleas of the Forest", transgressions of the rigid Anglo-Norman Forest Law.^[1] and romanticized in literature from the time of the ballads of Robin Hood, as an aspect of the "greenwood" of Merry England. Non est inquirendum, unde venit venison ("It is not to be inquired, whence comes the venison"), observed Guillaume Budé in his Traitté de la venerie.^[2] See also the Night Poaching Act 1828 and Game Act 1831.

In modern times poaching may be illegal and in violation because

• The game or fish is not in season; usually the breeding season is declared as the closed season when wildlife species are protected by law.
• The poacher does not own the land he is poaching on and does not have permission from the owner to hunt on that land
• The poacher does not possess a valid permit.
• The poacher is illegally selling the animal, animal parts or plant for a profit.
• The animal is being hunted outside of legal hours.
• The hunter used an illegal weapon for that animal.
• The animal or plant is on restricted land.
• The right to hunt this animal is claimed by somebody.
• The type of bait is inhumane, e.g. food unsuitable for an animal's health.
• The means used are illegal (for example, baiting a field while hunting quail or other animals, using spotlights to stun or paralyze deer, or hunting from a moving vehicle, watercraft, or aircraft).
• The animal or plant is protected by law or has been listed as extinct or endangered (see for example the Endangered Species Act in the USA or the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 and similar laws/treaties).
• The animal or plant has been tagged by a researcher.

Only wild animals can be poached. Stealing or killing domestic animals is considered to be theft ("cattle rustling"), not poaching.

Plant poaching is also on the rise. A prominent example is the removal of ginseng growing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.^[3] It is estimated that wild ginseng plants are worth more than $260–365 per pound (dried) on the black market.^[4]

Traditional medicine[link]

A seashell vendor in Tanzania sells to tourists seashells which have been taken from the sea alive, killing the animal inside.

The American paddlefish is poached for its eggs

Traditional Chinese medicine often incorporates ingredients from all parts of plants, the leaf, stem, flower, root, and also ingredients from animals and minerals. The use of parts of endangered species (such as seahorses, rhinoceros horns, binturong and tiger bones and claws) has created controversy and resulted in a black market of poachers who hunt restricted animals.^[5][6] Deep-seated cultural beliefs in the potency of tiger parts are so prevalent across China and other east asian countries that laws protecting even critically endangered species such as the Sumatran tiger fail to stop the display and sale of these items in open markets, according to a 2008 report from TRAFFIC.^[7] Popular "medicinal" tiger parts from poached animals include tiger penis, culturally believed to improve virility, and tiger eyes.

Slips of authority[link]

There have been many national and international actions taken against certain kinds of poaching and hunting. Hunting for ivory was banned in 1989, but poaching of elephants continues in many parts of Africa stricken by economic decline. The Philippines has more than 400 endangered animals, all of which are illegal to poach.

Some species, such as the sturgeon or paddlefish (aka spoonbill catfish) are listed as species of "special concern" by the U.S. Federal government, but are only banned from fishing in a few states such as Mississippi and Texas.^[8] The species, which is being overfished for its eggs to make caviar, is still allowed to be taken in all other states.

Addressing the problem[link]

Some game wardens have made use of robotic decoy animals placed in high visibility areas to draw out poachers for arrest after the "animals" get shot.^[9]

See also[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Poaching

• Market size of the illegal trade in animals
• Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting Poaching Paradise (Video)
• Black Market, produced by Mediastorm
• Hunting Laws Resource - List of official State Government ran Wildlife Websites
• EIA 25 yrs investigating the ivory trade, reports etc
• EIA (in the USA) reports etc
• The Confessions of a Poacher - 1890 Personal account of a real poacher from Project Gutenberg
• International Anti-Poaching Foundation - International Anti-Poaching Foundation

Philippe Cousteau (December 30, 1940 – June 28, 1979) was a documentary film maker specializing in environmental issues, with a background in oceanography. He was the second son of Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Simone Cousteau.

Born in Toulon, Philippe Cousteau first dived with an aqua-lung in 1945. He was a professional diver from the age of 7. A pilot and a witness of the advance of science in the art of diving and underwater adventure, he grew up traveling the world, learning about different cultures, and acquiring several languages.

In February 1967 Cousteau accompanied his father on the RV Calypso for an expedition to film the sharks of the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. As well as being the lead photographer for the expedition, Philippe also chronicled his experiences in the 1970 publication Shark: Splendid Savage of the Sea. He coproduced numerous documentaries with his father until his death, including his own PBS series, "Oasis in Space," concerning environmental issues.

Cousteau lent his technical expertise to the U.S. Navy's SEALAB program. In the aftermath of aquanaut Berry L. Cannon's death while attempting to repair a leak in SEALAB III, Cousteau volunteered to dive down to SEALAB and help return it to the surface, although SEALAB was ultimately salvaged in a less hazardous way.^[1]

He died aged 38 in 1979 in a PBY Catalina flying boat crash in the Tagus river near Lisbon. The aircraft nosed over during a high speed taxi run undertaken to check the hull for leakage following a water landing. The Catalina turned upside down, causing the fuselage to break behind the cockpit. The wing separated from the fuselage and the left engine broke off, penetrating the captain's side of the cockpit.^[2]

His children Alexandra Cousteau and Philippe Cousteau Jr. continue the family work in oceanography as the Co-Founders of EarthEcho International.

Legacy[link]

The Philippe Cousteau Anchor Museum in Asturias, Spain honors the oceanographer.

External links[link]

1. ^ Craven, John Piña (2001). The Silent War: The Cold War Battle Beneath the Sea, New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-684-87213-7
2. ^ Aviation Safety Network. "ASN Aircraft accident Consolidated PBY-6A Catalina N101CS Alverca". http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19790628-0. Retrieved 2010-07-18. 

• Photo of Philippe Cousteau at the controls of N101CS.
• Photo of Philippe Cousteau.
• Cousteau Society PBY-6A Catalina as piloted by Philippe Cousteau.
• Official Aircraft Accident Description N101CS, Consolidated PBY-6A Catalina, 28 June 1979.
• CDNN- The Cousteau Wars.

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A bronze statue of Andy was unveiled in June 2007 in Hartlepool – Reg Smyth's hometown.^[1]

Andy Capp is a British comic strip created by cartoonist Reg Smythe (1917–1998), seen in The Daily Mirror and The Sunday Mirror newspapers since 5 August 1957. Originally a single-panel cartoon, Smyth later expanded it to four panels.

The strip is syndicated internationally by Creators Syndicate. The character is also licensed as the mascot for a line of snack foods (Andy Capp's fries) and a defunct chain of miniature golf courses in Brevard County, Florida.

Characters and story[link]

• Andy Capp
• Florrie "Flo" Capp
• Chalkie White
• Ruby "Rube" White
• Percy the rent collector
• Jackie the barman
• The Vicar
• Flo's Mum

Also various constables, barmaids, barmen, referees, footballers, pub locals and door-to-door salesmen.

Andy is a working class figure who never actually works, living in Hartlepool, a harbour town in northeast England. The title of the strip is a pun, a perfect phonetic rendition of that region's pronunciation of the word "handicap", as well as a reference^{[citation needed]} to the main character's trademark flat cloth cap.

His hobbies include pigeon racing, darts, snooker (his cue's name is "Delilah" ^[2]), football (which always involves fights with the other players, and frequently ends with Andy being sent off), occasionally cricket and rugby, betting on horses, getting drunk in the local pub (often falling into the canal and being fished out by a constable, and always, seven nights a week, arriving home late as a result), fishing (and not catching anything bigger than a goldfish), womanising, loafing on the sofa, and fighting with his long-suffering wife, Florrie (also known as "Flo").

Andy's iconic plaid cap is always pulled down over his eyes, even when he is seen napping or bathing. He is often unshaven, frequently intoxicated (indicated by a prominent red nose and dishevelled clothing), lazy, freeloading, belligerent and confrontational—but just as frequently lovable (he always refers to Flo as "pet", and will instantly "bop" anyone who dares to be rude to her). He was often seen with a cigarette dangling from his lip until the 1980s. Similarly, Andy no longer beats his wife,^[3] because of concerns about the depiction of domestic violence (which was usually portrayed in a highly stylised manner, as an iconic cartoon smoke cloud with fists and feet protruding). Instead, they now attend marriage counselling.

Andy and Florrie are always on the verge of poverty. Although Flo works regularly as a charwoman, Andy is unemployed and lacks motivation. Rent on their flat and its contents is constantly in arrears, and Percy Ritson the rent collector despairs of ever being paid. Their furniture has been repossessed on several occasions. Somehow, they always manage to recover it, and Andy is always able to afford beer and gambling money, usually by borrowing from Florrie. Jackie the pub barman is regularly seen as well. Almost all the characters occasionally "break the fourth wall" by delivering asides directly to the reader, usually in reference to Andy's low character. One 1976 strip revealed that Andy once worked as a sign painter, but had not worked at that trade (or any other for that matter) for many years.).

Early on, the Andy Capp strip was accused of perpetuating stereotypes about Britain's Northerners, who are seen in other parts of England as chronically unemployed, dividing their time between the living room couch and the neighbourhood pub, with a few hours set aside for fistfights at football games... But Smythe, himself a native of that region, had nothing but affection for his good-for-nothing protagonist, a fact which showed in his work. Since the very beginning, Andy has been immensely popular among the people he supposedly skewers.^[4]

The strip almost exclusively takes place in one of three locations: the pub, the street, or inside the Capps' residence at No. 37 Durham Street (generally with Andy on the couch and Florrie yelling from the next room). Less frequently visited places include the race track (although Andy frequently bets by listening to the radio, thus saving him the trip), the marriage counsellor (in one memorable cartoon, a panoramic shot is given of the counselling office, with several file cabinets dedicated entirely to the Capps), and the football pitch (where Andy is either being sent off, or carried off on a stretcher).

Andy's and Flo's best friends are their neighbours Chalkie and Rube (short for Ruby) White. Chalkie is like Andy, a hard-drinking, hardscrabble, working-class type who can often be seen sharing a pint with Andy at the corner pub. However, Chalkie seems to be mellower than Andy, and more tolerant of his wife. Also unlike Andy, Chalkie was known to be employed, if intermittently, during much of the strip's run.^{[citation needed]} Rube is Flo's confidante, and the two often trade gossip over the clothesline about their husbands' latest escapades. The local vicar is also often seen. Andy despairs of his holier-than-thou attitude, as he is constantly criticising Andy for his many bad habits and vice-ridden lifestyle. He often lets his opinion be known to Flo, who agrees with his low assessment of Andy's character.

Flo's mother, an unseen character only indicated by offstage speech balloons, often chimes into the conversation, mostly with sarcastic criticism of her son-in-law. Flo's "mum", whom Andy addresses only as "Missus", is often the subject of Andy's pointed barbs about her weight and less-than-sunny disposition, but she has been known to give as good as she gets. Andy's mother was similarly mentioned and also delivered dialogue unseen, but her "appearances" were cut back significantly as the years went on. Andy's father has also been mentioned. Flo has an older sister named Polly, who is also never seen. Andy had a pet whippet named Nancy.

Syndication[link]

Despite its local milieu, the comic strip is syndicated in 50 countries throughout the world.^{[citation needed]}

Continuation[link]

Reg Smyth died on 13 June 1998, and the original strip has been continued. For some time, the writer and artist were uncredited, but in November 2004 the strip began to carry a credit for Roger Mahoney (artist) and Roger Kettle (writer).

In May 2012, Andy Capp (as well as Flo, Chalkie White, the Vicar and Jackie the Barman) were animated for the first time in promotional material for The Trinity Mirror-owned MirrorBingo.com website. The animation was created by Teesside born Chris Hunneysett, who drew from his own background to place Andy Capp in Middlesbrough. Seen within the industrial-styled background are MIMA, the Captain Cook Bottle sculpture and what was the Masham Public House.^{[citation needed]}

Awards[link]

Smythe received the National Cartoonist Society's Humor Comic Strip Award for the strip in 1974.^[5]

Book collections and reprints[link]

United Kingdom[link]

(All titles by Reg Smyth. Published by Daily Mirror Books/Mirror Group Publishers unless otherwise noted)

USA[link]

(Published by Fawcett/Gold Medal unless otherwise noted)

Australia[link]

Adaptations[link]

Stage[link]

In 1981 a stage musical based on the strip had a short run at London's Aldwych Theatre, with songs by Alan Price and Trevor Peacock, starring Tom Courtenay as Andy and Val McLane as Florrie. The stage show also produced an original West End cast recording, released on LP record by Key Records in 1982.

Television[link]

An attempt to transfer Andy Capp to television in 1988 met with little success. The well-known British character actor James Bolam played Andy on ITV. The Thames Television series consisted of six episodes that were shown once and have never been repeated. The series was poorly received and attracted some criticism for the way it played up to supposed stereotypes of Northern working class men.

Computer game[link]

In 1987, a computer game based on the Andy Capp comic strips was released to the Commodore 64 entitled Andy Capp: The Game. It was released to a North American and European audience. Players had to borrow money in order to replenish the Andy's alcohol supply while avoiding fights with either his wife Flo or with the police.

Related works[link]

• The Gospel According to Andy Capp, written by Daniel Patrick McGeachy, was published by John Knox Press in 1973.
• When the children's comic Buster was launched in 1960, its masthead character was entitled Buster: Son of Andy Capp. Buster wore a cloth cap similar to Andy's until 1992, but the connection was not recognised in the parent strip and had limited development in the children's comic. Buster did often refer to his father, and he was seen in the comic itself attempting to find a gas leak in three frames of the 18 June 1960 issue. He was also shown in two drawn photographs in the 2 July 1960 issue, the first of which was displayed by Buster's mum with the pronouncement "It's a photo of Buster taken with Andy! You can see he's got his dad's fine straight nose". Buster's mum was often referred to by name and was consistently drawn to resemble Andy's wife Flo.
• The Mirror also runs a cartoon strip called Mandy, which started life as Mandy Capp. It is the tale of a sassy single mother and her travails with work, dating and her home and social life. Her relationship to Andy is unclear, but the two strips have never had a crossover.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Andy Capp, British Cartoon Archive, University of Kent
• Daily Andy Capp comics at Creators Syndicate
• Daily Andy Capp comics at GoComics
• Andy's Facebook Page
• "A comic-hero on his way through Europe" in Nürnberger Nachrichten (newspaper), about Ultras Nürnberg‘s mascot "Jacky" (=Andy) (German)