Oh, oceans ... and that fish that's left

Here are a few ocean-related facts that I found in the Epoch Times newspaper about 6 weeks ago:

-         About 80% of the world’s fish stocks are fully exploited or overexploited and thus require effective and precautionary management. 90% of all tuna and sword fish are already gone.--- If that's right I wonder why tuna & sword fish aren't a luxury yet. They should be dead expensive, or subsidised.      

-         Oceans absorb more carbon dioxide than the land. This absorption causes the ocean to become more acidic which leads to the dissolving of shell organisms that form the skeleton of coral reefs that will therefore die.

-         Higher biodiversity enhances the functioning of the deep-sea ecosystems which is vital for the sustainability of our biosphere. --- Having species die out never seemed a good thing but with the economic desire to uniform food so it looks and tastes the same no matter where and when you buy it biodiversity is on the losing end. It does not matter if that's the banana or beef burger or fish. Due to companies like Monsanto biodiversity will disappear ever so fast. I'll come back to that.    

-         By 2015 50% of the world’s population will live along coasts, adding pressure on coastal and marine biodiversity. --- This fact in in fact no surprise at all. Just as an example: With Canadian coastal cities happily dumping their waste raw (untreated) into the ocean, what do you think is happening in poor countries? Lots and lots of water pollution ...  

David Suzuki Foundation also had a lot of fish-related articles on the website recently:   

1. Did you know that Canada's Atlantic longline swordfish fishery kills tens of thousands of sharks each year? To find out more and take action got to http://www.friendsofhector.org/

2. Killer whale wins court case for Canada's marine species at risk! http://bit.ly/gVLaZh

 It's a good start but the article points out there's a BUT. It's nice to have laws but laws have to be enforced in order to make a difference and the Canadian government is not famous for enforcing laws that protect anything related to the environment.   

3. Saving Pacific salmon is possible and profitable! Profit is possible on all fronts with closed containment salmon farming

Again, it's a beginning but there's still a study in progress and change tends to happen slowly ... I hate to say it but "better late than never" has developed a sour taste for me. It might be too late for one or the other species at risk. Read also http://bit.ly/eYcWNU   

 

4. For the reading enthusiast a whole book's been written about fish: Four Fish: The future of the last wild food, describes our profoundly changing relationship with the world’s oceans. Learn about the fascinating lives of four fish - salmon, sea bass, cod and tuna – and why overfishing and biotechnology are serious threats to healthy marine ecosystems. http://bookclub.davidsuzuki.org/