Marine Life & Conservation
A Reaffirmation of Hope at the Seattle Aquarium
I was sitting on Sennen Beach in Cornwall a few days ago talking with an old friend. Old in that I have known him a long time as well as old in that he is 80 this year. We were looking at the spectacular bay in front of us with its huge array of different blues from the water. There were quite a few small groups of gulls rafting on the mirror still water. The occasional Gannet would make a dive into the clear water to catch any unwary fish.
I mentioned how sad it was to see so few birds the last few years. My friend, who had first come to the beach in the late 1970’s recalled the hundreds of Gannets that would fish constantly for the huge shoals of Sand Eels that darkened the shallow waters with their great numbers. He talked about the shoals of Mullet that would share the same waters and the small beach anchored nets that would occasionally be hauled in to give an abundance of sea food to local families. He mentioned the 150 or so Dolphins that would regularly fish and play in the bay. How they loved to plough through and over the waves when the wind was strong and the sun was full. He talked about the great Basking Sharks coming into the shallows among the summer holiday makers to feed on the plankton……He talked then about how most of it was gone. We, people, had simply killed it. There are still the occasional three or four Dolphins that come to visit. The Basking Sharks also appear occasionally. The fish though are not to be seen.
We can sit and read articles like this and just say to ourselves, ‘What a shame’, or we can try to do something about saving what is left, perhaps even bringing species back from the edge of extinction. If nothing else, at least we can help by putting our names to petitions that support other people’s actions. It doesn’t matter if the issues are the other side of the world; we are all on the same planet and in the end actions, taken somewhere, will finally have an effect on you, wherever you are. Take a moment to look at the petition at the end of this post from MISSION BLUE – The Sylvia Earle Alliance.
http://mission-blue.org/2013/05/a-reaffirmation-of-hope-at-the-seattle-aquarium/
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
In a fantastic event last night at the Seattle Aquarium, Sylvia Earle and Greenpeace’s Phil Radford announced the Bering Sea Canyons as the official 19th Hope Spot. The event attracted a large turnout and impassioned speeches in defence of the new Hope Spot. Moreover, a bonafide airship was in play to promote the event!
The Bering Sea isn’t just chilly…it’s also super cool: these 770,000 square miles of tempestuous waters off the coast of Alaska and Siberia are home to immense populations of fish, seabirds, marine mammals and ancient corals, as well as the Bering Sea Canyons, the largest and deepest submarine canyons in the world — larger than the Grand Canyon. This rich ecosystem has supported indigenous tribes for thousands of years and currently provides over half the seafood caught in the United States.
If half the total US catch sounds like a lot, that’s because it is. Sadly, under this enormous commercial pressure, the Bering Sea is in decline. Since the 1960’s, the region has seen steep declines in top predators — i.e. whales, sea lions, seals — with some populations dipping by over 80 percent of historic levels. Moreover, trawling nets are decimating ancient corals and sponges in the deep canyons, which are critical to the ecosystem and are hundreds to thousands of years old.
[youtube id=”bfFeOvnGbY4″ width=”100%” height=”auto”]
The Bering Sea was a rich ecosystem of harmony, and now it faces collapse due to the pressures of industrial fishing. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council is the steward of these precious waters and, as such, they must protect the sensitive habitats, so the Bering Sea can continue to be a flourishing ocean ecosystem into the future. With the global ocean in a general decline, the preservation of the Bering Sea as a Marine Protected Area — or Hope Spot — is critical.
Please join your voice in this cause. Sign the Greenpeace petition to help protect the Bering Sea Canyons and reach out to support in any way you can.
Marine Life & Conservation
Double Bubble for Basking Sharks
The Shark Trust is excited to announce that, for two more days only, all donations, large or small, will be doubled in the Big Give Green Match Fund!
Donate to Basking in Nature: Sighting Giants
The Shark Trust is hoping to raise £10k which will be doubled to £20k. This will go towards Basking in Nature: Sighting Giants. And they need YOUR help to reach they’re goal.
The Shark Trust’s citizen science project is to monitor and assess basking sharks through sightings; encouraging data collection, community engagement, and promoting nature accessibility. This initiative aims to enhance health and wellbeing by fostering a deeper connection with British Sharks.
Campaign Aims
- Increase citizen science reporting of Basking Sharks and other shark sightings to help inform shark and ray conservation.
- Provide educational talks about the diverse range of sharks and rays in British waters and accessible identification guides!
- Create engaging and fun information panels on how to ID the amazing sharks and rays we have on our doorstep! These can be used on coastal paths around the Southwest. With activities and information on how you can make a difference for sharks and rays!
- Promote mental wellbeing through increasing time in nature and discovering the wonders beneath the waves!
Donate, and double your impact. Click Here
Marine Life & Conservation
Leading UK-based shark conservation charity, the Shark Trust, is delighted to announce tour operator Diverse Travel as a Corporate Patron
Corporate Patrons provide a valuable boost to the work of The Shark Trust. The Trust team works globally to safeguard the future of sharks, and their close cousins, the skates and rays, engaging with a global network of scientists, policymakers, conservation professionals, businesses and supporters to further shark conservation.
Specialist tour operator Diverse Travel has operated since 2014 and is committed to offering its guests high quality, sustainable scuba diving holidays worldwide. Working together with the Shark Trust will enable both organisations to widen engagement and encourage divers and snorkellers to actively get involved in shark conservation.
“Sharks are truly at the heart of every diver and at Diverse Travel, we absolutely share that passion. There is nothing like seeing a shark in the wild – it’s a moment that stays with you forever!” says Holly Bredin, Sales & Marketing Manager, Diverse Travel.
“We’re delighted to celebrate our 10th year of business by becoming a Corporate Patron of the Shark Trust. This is an exciting partnership for Diverse and our guests. We will be donating on behalf of every person who books a holiday with us to contribute towards their vital shark conservation initiatives around the world. We will also be working together with the Trust to inspire divers, snorkellers and other travellers to take an active role – at home and abroad – in citizen science projects and other activities.”
Paul Cox, CEO of The Shark Trust, said:
“It’s an exciting partnership and we’re thrilled to be working with Diverse Travel to enable more divers and travellers to get involved with sharks and shark conservation. Sharks face considerable conservation challenges but, through collaboration and collective action, we can secure a brighter future for sharks and their ocean home. This new partnership takes us one more valuable step towards that goal.”
For more information about the Shark Trust visit their website here.
For more about Diverse Travel click here.
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