A fisherman boarded a plane to fly home from a fisheries conference in the Australian capital. A well dressed man with a leather briefcase sat down beside him and the fishermen recognised him as the head of the Fisheries Department in his home State.

“G’day mate, what would you like to discuss on the way home” asked the public servant?

“Dunno”, said the fisherman, “I’m pretty tired after three days of discussions. I would like to have a sleep but what do you suggest?”

New research has found breeding threatened native animals as pets could become a lucrative industry that would help prevent their extinction.

While travelling in the United States I received an email entitled “No Science Behind Marine Parks?” from John Thorogood, FRC Environmental in Queensland, Australia.

Dave, a factory manager, was having a smoke in front of the co-op when a brand-new BMW pulled up. The driver, a young man in a flash suit, Gucci shoes, RayBan sunglasses and fluorescent tie, leaned out the window and asked: “If I can tell you exactly how many fish you have in your factory, will you give me a tuna?”

While visiting a small port on Lake Huron, one of the five Great Lakes shared by Canada and the United States, I was totally bewildered as to the function of several vessels like the one pictured.