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A Human Issue

January 7, 2012 by 3 Comments

It is often said that the killing of dolphins in Taiji and whales in Antarctic waters is a matter for the Japanese to handle.  Similarly, the Danes say that the people of the Faroe Islands must decide to stop killing pilot “whales” (which are actually large dolphins).  These may seem apt excuses, and may even seem to make sense, given a perfunctory glance.  But such boundaries and distinctions are artificial, man-made, and ultimately invalid.

This is the amazing transformation performed by whaling

Whaling turns this majestic being into this corpse, and they don't even need the meat.

The killing of dolphins and whales is not a matter of national sovereignty, any more than human rights are a state-by-state issue.  This is a HUMAN behavior; humans are doing these killings, so it is up to we humans to police ourselves, regardless of what nationality those humans may give themselves.  Wherever such slaughters may be happening, it is up to fellow humans to stop it.

Just as we oppose slavery, torture and murders put upon fellow humans, we must fight against slavery, torture and killings done by fellow humans.  Similarly, it is incumbent upon us, it is our obligation, to stop humans from polluting and destroying the oceans, no matter where they may be while doing so.

When China’s manufacturing pours toxic chemicals into the rivers that eventually dump those chemicals into the sea, we have permitted it by not stopping it.  In fact, we have endorsed it (a little at a time) by buying those products made in that filthy fashion.  We may not like having such a responsibility thrust upon us, but the plain truth is that when we do not  do everything within our power to stop it, we become culpable as well.

If someone were to set up a floating base in the middle of the Pacific, far from any nation’s boundaries, and begin pouring acid into the waters there, would we allow it?  Do we allow humans to develop or discharge nuclear weapons as we please?  There is ample precedent; we have both the right and obligation to control ourselves, our fellow humans.  Our destruction of the oceans’ waters and her inhabitants is not a national issue.  It is a human issue, and it is up to us to fight it — tooth and nail — wherever it may occur.

Filed Under: Activism, Editorial Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Where Have All The Whalers Gone?

December 26, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Seriously. As late as the 1970′s, Australia and the United States were amongst the whaling nations. After even the International Whaling Commission (IWC), which is a pro-whaling organization, called for a moratorium on killing whales, nearly all nations stopped the activity.

Picture of whaling in times past

Back when it was harder to kill a whale, we weren't as much of a threat to them... or ourselves.

Why? What changed? We became to clever, too capable of killing. Where once it was a dangerous and courageous act to go out into the oceans in pursuit of a whale, perhaps kill one or two, men developed power boats and explosive-charged harpoons fired from 50-caliber guns… and the whale populations went from millions to a few hundred thousand in half a century.

Her Deepness, Dr. Sylvia Earle, describes the scenario in her book, “The World Is Blue (How our fate and the oceans’ are one).”  After millions of years of being the apex predator, the supreme beings of the sea, along comes man, figures out how to make things (fuel and gunpowder) explode, and throws off the entire natural order of things in the ocean by invading their world, by killing off beings as smart and long-lived as we are, as though they were a prey species.

Today there are still a few commercial whaling nations.  Japan, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Canada, Indonesia, Norway and Russia all still defy the IWC moratorium. There are still some whales being killed with permit by indigenous people in the U.S. as well. And amongst those nations is the concern “What will happen to us, to our whalers, if we no longer kill dolphins and whales?” Well, where have all the whalers gone from the other whaling nations?

The slack was quickly picked up by other more harmonious maritime occupations. Taiji’s fishermen might actually go catch fish, for example. Or take people out on whale-watching tours. Or transport goods. The argument is vapid. What did all the railroad workers do when airplanes caught on? What did the plantation owners do once slavery was outlawed? They found other jobs, and other ways. Though we humans tend to fear change, we can and do adapt. If we stop killing whales (and perhaps ONLY if we stop killing whales) life will go on.

Is that hyperbole?  No, it’s not.  Taking out an apex predator has far-reaching and profound impacts on the rest of the living beings around them.  Without their natural predators, prey populations first balloon, then starve down to dangerously low numbers.  Everything that eats those fish, squid, and plankton are likewise affected — us included.  Our fate is inextricably linked to that of the ocean and her inhabitants.

Where have all the whalers gone?  Gone to other jobs, every one… and the world is a far better place for it.  Now we need to stop the rest of the killing, so that the natural order of things, so that natural balances can return.  We can take from the ocean, but we cannot strip and rape it as we have been doing, running roughshod over it with reckless abandon.  The ocean cannot survive that… nor can we.

To get a better understanding of the ways in which our fate is linked to that of the ocean without making a carbon footprint, download a copy of Dr. Sylvia Earle’s “The World Is Blue.”   If you prefer a hard copy, you can click here to order that instead.  By following either link, Protect The Ocean gains a small percentage from the sale, and you gain a much larger perspective of the world!

Whaling and Whale Protection – Two more very worthwhile  recommendations:

and

Filed Under: Editorial, Marine Preservation, Sea Life Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

PRESS RELEASE: Crew Seats Available on Gyres Research Vessel

November 17, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Crew Seats Available on Research Voyage to Investigate

Plastic Pollution and Debris from 2011 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

 LOS ANGELES, Calif., Oct. 5, 2011—Scientists, educators and eco-adventurers are being offered the unprecedented opportunity to join a research expedition through the North Pacific Ocean littered with debris generated by the Japan tsunami of March 11, 2011. Rarely is such a monumental amount of material—tens of thousands of tons including cars, entire homes and boats—simultaneously thrust into the sea from a single location.

The 5 Gyres Institute and the Algalita Marine Research Foundation (Algalita) have organized this expedition in collaboration with Pangaea Explorations to offer a 7,000-mile, high-seas voyage aboard the “Sea Dragon” sailing vessel from May 1 through July 1, 2012.

The Sea Dragon, a 72' Steel Hull sailing research vessel

The Sea Dragon, a 72' steel-hull sailing research vessel

The expedition’s first leg will sail from Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands through the area of the North Pacific Gyre commonly referred to as the “Western Garbage Patch” where little research has been conducted on plastic pollution.  The trip’s second leg will travel due east from Japan to Hawaii through the gyre, a vast vortex of ocean currents where plastic debris accumulates, to cross the “Japan Tsunami Debris Field.” Of great interest to the researchers is how fast the plastic trash is traveling across the gyre, how quickly or slowly it is decomposing, how rapidly marine life is colonizing on it, and whether it is transporting invasive species.

“We’ll be riding the same currents that are transporting cigarette lighters, bottle caps, children’s toys and all manner of other plastic pollution generated by the tsunami,” said expedition leader Marcus Eriksen, Executive Director and co-founder of the 5 Gyres Institute.

The 2012 voyage is open to anyone 18-years and older, regardless of sailing experience. Participants will travel with four professional crewmembers and will be expected to earn their sea legs and rough hands by hauling in lines and hoisting sails. They also will conduct research side-by-side with scientists, whether operating a trawl or collecting and cataloging plastic marine pollution and sea life.

Nine crew seats are available at a cost of $13,500 each for Leg 1 and $15,500 each for Leg 2.  A portion of the fare is tax deductible and net proceeds will support Algalita and 5 Gyres’ cooperative research and educational outreach.

This is the second eco-adventure conducted by Algalita. Its July 2011 voyage across the eastern North Pacific Gyre sold out.  5 Gyres has conducted seven research voyages across the five subtropical gyres, including the first expeditions to the three southern hemisphere gyres. Crewmembers included scientists, artists, journalists and environmentalists from around the world, such as Tim Silverwood of New South Wales.

Image of a gyre sample, the plastics found floating out in the middle of the N. Pacific Garbage Patch (gyre)

This gyre sample was taken during a July 2011 voyage across the North Pacific Gyre (Garbage Patch) by Algalita Marine Research Foundation. The sample includes micro-plastic bits as well as a toothbrush, two pen caps, a spray-bottle nozzle, and a small toy gorilla.

“After first hearing of the devastating state of the North Pacific Gyre, I immediately had a desire to witness it for my

self and tell the world about it,” Silverwood said. “Participating in leading scientific research with people from all over the world, all motivated to bring this issue to the mainstream, was incredible. The voyage has provided me so many opportunities to talk with media in the community and to schools about the issue and what we need to do to counter this problem.”

“Our vision is a global environment that is healthy, sustainable, and productive for all living creatures, free from plastic pollution,” says Algalita Executive Director, Marieta Francis.  “Understanding the impact of the Japan tsunami resultant debris will provide once-in-a-lifetime information to help us move closer to that vision.”

Algalita and 5 Gyres, both nonprofit organizations, have been leaders in pioneering research and increasing global awareness of plastic marine pollution. Algalita’s founder, Captain Charles Moore, brought attention to the “Eastern Garbage Patch” in the North Pacific Gyre in 1999.  5 Gyres continues to monitor plastic marine pollution in the “garbage patches” found in all five subtropical gyres.  Most of the plastic debris studied has been adrift for years, much of it broken down by the sun’s rays and ocean currents into small plastic particles.

For all participation requirements, sponsorship opportunities and to register, contact Jeanne Gallagher: (562) 598-4889; opsadmin@algalita.org.

5 Gyres logoAbout 5 Gyres Institute: 5 Gyres Institute is a nonprofit organization committed to meaningful change through research, education and community action. 5 Gyres disseminates its findings through lectures, publications and traveling exhibits, and raises awareness about plastic marine pollution through sailing expeditions across the world’s oceans.  For information on upcoming expeditions and exhibitions around the globe: (323) 395-1843; [email protected].

 

Algalita Marine Research logoAbout Algalita Marine Research Foundation: The Algalita Marine Research Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Long Beach, CA, is dedicated to the protection of the marine environment and its watersheds through research, education, and restoration. Algalita conducts research and collaborative studies on the distribution, abundance and fate of marine plastic pollution and the potential harmful effects of plastics in the marine environment, including transference of toxins and their impact on human health; provides authoritative, educational findings to scientists, the general public, governmental agencies, and the private sector; collaborates with organizations working toward restoring the aquatic environment and ultimately eliminating plastic pollution. More information: (562) 598-4889; www.algalita.org.

 

Pangaea Exploration LogoAbout Pangaea Explorations:  Pangaea Explorations offers adventure sailing to actively strengthen the health of marine life through exploration, conservation and education work. Our mission is to inspire and develop a new generation of leaders in conservation science, communication, education, art and policy leadership. More information: www.panexplore.com.

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