17 July 2006
The Mediterranean is still being threatened
by Canan, onboard the Rainbow Warrior in the Mediterranean sea.
"Yes, the Mediterranean needs our
attention and protection now!"
©Greenpeace/Roger Grace
It is not just Greenpeace crew and activists who are the warriors of the Rainbow, it is the people of the Mediterranean, people who we will meet along the way, people who are working to protect their sea, their livelihoods, for the future.
Think of our planet, and what covers it? Two quarters of the earth's surface is water. And beneath the surface, our seas and oceans hold 80 percent of life.
The oceans give life to our planet and to us. But in return we are suffocating them. Dredging up too many fish, carelessly killing and discarding ocean life, including whales, turtles, seabirds and ancient corals; filling the oceans with pollution; and over-heating them with climate change.
The Mediterranean sea represents one percent of the world's water surface, but is a biodiversity and commercial hotspot, home to nine percent of the world's most popular tourist region. A global network of marine reserves is vital to ensure the health of our oceans and survival of the spectacular marine life they harbour.
In the Mediterranean, some of the key threats include the plunder of species like bluefin tuna; the illegal use of driftnets; and the continued pollution with waste from land and from ships.
In Turkey, the Rainbow Warrior will sail along the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts to expose the 'beauty and the beast', the threats facing our Sea and the life we need to protect. Creating marine reserves over 40 percent of the Mediterranean needs the cooperation and will of the 21 countries that surround the Mediterranean Sea.
The picture of how we are treating Our Sea is not a prretty one. If this is continued, the health and productivity of the Sea that sustains this region will be lost. But if we act now before it is too late, and protect the Mediterranean with a nettwork of marine reserves, its health and productivity can be protected and restored.
This is a crucial time for our region. We must move forward in cooperation and peace to make life better for us and our children.
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Comments
CANAN!
You don't know how happy I was to see you featured here :-)
I am so glad to see you on the blog!
I am so proud of you my friend!
All across the globe we are ALL facing the same issues, whether it be from the Mediterranean, the Aegean, the Red Sea, the North Sea, even here in the Philippines, fish stocks are being depleted at a drastically alarming rate and the marine environment are continually being destroyed to the brink of irreversible damage.
I hope by this call for help, people would be shaken out of their complacensy and false sense of security, and HELP! save what is left.
By helping Greenpeace, they are not only helping us with this campaign, they are also helping save their future and their childrens future.
THERE IS NO TIME TO WASTE!
Canan, again. I am so proud of you!
I love you and miss you very much my friend!
Posted by: Mary Ann at July 18, 2006 5:09 AM
I want to congratulate you for this article. I live on the Mediterranean and just found out that
there has been a Spill of 10,000 tons of fuel oil into the Mediterranean Sea
you can read the article on
http://beirut.indymedia.org/ar/2006/07/4803.shtml
It's so sad what human beings do to our planet
keep up the good work
best regards
Yaelle
Posted by: Yaelle at July 29, 2006 6:37 PM
I am very proud of your efforts in the mediterranean, however, I am very pessimistic. It is hard enough to persuade those in countries where evidence is abundant and the level of education amongst the public is much higher, and supposedly more receptive to these important questions. But as we have seen, people, and those in power, offer little hope for the overworked planet. I think we are at a definitive time in history: our present actions, especially now, will dictate the nature (no pun intended) of our planet and the chances of it's survivability. Though, again, I commend you. I will be of more assistance once I specialize in environmental law in the coming years. cheers.
Posted by: bassam lazar at August 2, 2006 12:45 AM
Avast ye land lubbers! The ocean critters need your help!
Take action today!
