All over for the fish by 2048
A new study published in the journal Science, finds that unless we reverse a long-term trend, our planets oceans will be largely fished out in my lifetime. Preserving marine biodiversity is the key, and the study calls for improved fisheries management and establishment of marine reserves.
The marine reserve concept should be familiar to all of our Ocean Defenders, since it is the overall goal of the Defending Our Oceans global expedition. We've got a long way to go though. Only a very tiny percentage of the world's oceans are currently protected.
But what we could get THIS MONTH is a moratorium on unregulated high seas bottom trawling. This would buy scientists and regulators enough time to protect vital deep-sea ecosystems.
Here's what Boris Worm, the study's lead scientist, had to say to the BBC about bottom trawling:
"But you also have to have good management of marine parks and good management of fisheries. Clearly, fishing should not wreck the ecosystem, bottom trawling being a good example of something which does wreck the ecosystem."... snip ...
"I'm just amazed, it's very irrational," he said.
"You have scientific consensus and nothing moves. It's a sad example; and what happened in Canada should be such a warning, because now it's collapsed it's not coming back."
Click here to tell the Canadian government to stop dragging its feet on bottom trawling.
Nobody is going to solve this problem unless we insist that they solve this problem.
**Note from Adele: Picture shows co-author of the report Dr Boris Worm dressing up as a tubeworm on Halloween to emphasise his support for a moratorium on bottom trawling**
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Comments
The sea is going empty during my life time as Marine Biologist!! Unbelievable! Unacceptable!
What to do ??? nothing is working out to stop this massacre?
LET'S ALL STOP EATING SEA FOOD until the seas are replenished!!! and untill destructive practices are stopped! Do we have other alternatives? Nothing else is working to stop this underwater massacre !!
If you are willing to stop eating SEA FOOD please send me the following small email to bautil@online.be and undersign it with your name and address.
"I _______________(add name and address) will stop eating SEA FOOD untill there is scientific evidence that biodiversity is restored in the seas".
Add your name and address underneath.
Thank you
Bruno Bautil (M.Sc)
Marine Biologist
Posted by: Bruno Bautil | November 8, 2006 11:16 AM