Thriving Oceans

Oh the ocean conservation irony!  Well, things are certainly on a roll in terms of paradoxes hitting the headlines over the last couple of days, but this time it’s not about underfishing.  My intuition says there’s a payoff in the works; perhaps some good PR, maybe a few feel good dollars to hopefully get the world to close their eyes, or perchance it is simply a BRIBE…a $2 billion dollar dolphin slaughter, whaling kickback if you will.

According to a report by the Associated Press, Japan (the country harpooning whales for “scientific research”) has pledged $2 billion dollars to:

“…help developing nations reach species-preserving goals that are being debated at a U.N. conference…”

Wow!  I know what you’re thinking, “How could this offer by the great whaling nation get any more poignant?”  No worries as I have a quote that will make you realize the country permitting the butchering of dolphins is gung-ho for marine conservation.

“We must stop this great extinction in our lifetime,” Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said at the conference in Nagoya, southwest of Tokyo.

Hmmm, profound indeed and glad to see Japan is committed to preserving whales, dolphins, tuna, etc.  Now I’ll remove my tongue from my cheek and continue on with my day knowing our oceans are in good chopsticks hands.

It’s good to be back and I must say I miss writing about the ocean world.  If you’re curious what I’ve been doing check out my post: Joining Earth Island’s Conservation Ranks.

Now on with the show…I happened upon this Associated Press article that popped out of Boston the other day and I didn’t realize that I was in for quite a laugh.  So the writer goes on to describe a series of natural and regulatory circumstances that had created a situation by which fish stocks were being underfished (oh the overfishing irony!), and how, as an example,  haddock numbers were booming because an area had been closed to U.S. fishermen. Wow, sounds like a great conservation plan and one that had been properly implemented, right?  My thoughts exactly!  But intertwined amongst the words were two ecological gems that I just had to share with all you ocean aficionados and conservationists.  I hope you appreciate the perspective as it is actually quite sad and telling…

Steve Ouellette, a fisheries attorney in Gloucester, talking about underfishing:

“I think it’s just a tragedy.”

“Hundreds of millions of dollars of fish are being wasted.”

Yep, allowing healthy fish to remain in our oceans, contribute to biodiversity, balance ecosystems, and  simply exist unexploited are such catastrophes and a waste of life.  Somehow I doubt that underfishing will become my new mantra.