THE MONACHUS GUARDIAN, DECEMBER 2005 Dear Colleagues and Friends of the Monk Seal This is to let you know that we have now published the December 2005 issue of The Monachus Guardian, the biannual electronic journal focusing on the Mediterranean, Hawaiian and Caribbean monk seals. The site can be accessed at <http://www.monachus-guardian.org> As indicated in our International News section, this is a much-truncated edition, reflecting current difficulties in obtaining the financial support necessary to continue publishing the journal to its familiar standard and format. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CURRENT ISSUE: International News: UN meetings in Athens and Slovenia hear of the monk seal¹s imminent extinction - Ministers adopt monk seal declaration. Hawaiian News: Marine refuge in NWHI¹s shallow waters is a big win; deep water next. Mediterranean News: Back from the Dead? Why a spate of new sightings may mean that reports of the monk seal¹s extinction in the Adriatic were premature after all. Plus... Understanding fisheries: a new conservation initiative for the monk seal in Greece. Features: Recent Sightings of the Monk Seal in Croatian areas of the Adriatic, by Martina Duras Gomercic, Tomislav Gomercic, Duro Huber and Hrvoje Gomercic. Mediterranean Monk Seal off Ginak Island, The Gambia: a new sighting at the southern fringe of the known range, by Roy Armstrong and Owen T. Nevin. Letters to the Editor: The National Marine Rubbish Tip of Zakynthos. Recent Publications. The current and back issues of The Monachus Guardian are also available from the Monk Seal Library <http://www.monachus-guardian.org/library.htm> and may either be viewed on-line, or downloaded as single files in Acrobat format. Should you have any comments on the web site or its contents, please contact us at: editor@monachus-guardian.org. Our sincere thanks to all the friends and colleagues who have made this issue possible. William M. Johnson editor@monachus-guardian.org PS. Don't hesitate to let us know if you appear to be on this email information list in error. _______________________________________ William M Johnson editor@monachus-guardian.org http://www.monachus-guardian.org http://www.iridescent-publishing.com _______________________________________