Tag Archives: oceans

Aquarius Reef Base Petition

I enjoy reading a few comics online, Sherman’s Lagoon among them. Yesterday I noticed a note beneath the comic about the upcoming closure of the Aquarius Reef Base. This is an underwater ocean research station funded by NOAA. It’s being closed due to budget cuts. I’d like to suggest that you sign the petition to encourage NOAA to keep the base open.

Ocean research matters. There’s a lot we’re still learning about our oceans, and with all the problems we’re having with the environment, learning to protect the oceans is vital. Take just a few moments to fill out the petition in the hopes that ocean research can be continued at Aquarius Reef Base.

What’s Happening to the Fish?

I’ve been coming across a lot of articles lately on how overfishing is running rampant. From the bluefin tuna being in danger of extinction to California closing the 2009 salmon season. And the situation is a lot worse than than.

Just read this article by Johann Hari on whether we could be the generation that runs out of fish. Ouch.

Then try Tree Hugger’s article on 10 fish you shouldn’t be eating.

The problem is quite simply overfishing. Too bad the solution isn’t so simple, as there’s too many big businesses relying on heavy fishing to survive, and they keep managing to keep the quotas too high for the stability of the population, and will no doubt fight the closures that need to happen.

Even though such moves would keep their businesses running for a longer time.

It’s one of the biggest problems we have, that so many people don’t want to take the steps necessary to preserve, well, anything, until it’s just about too late. We see this time and again. Pesticides and fertilizers and dead zones in the ocean and pollution and plastics, and, and, and….

It doesn’t stop.

These are the things that go beyond saying “well, I just won’t buy any.” That’s not good enough. Someone else will buy it. It’s not even enough for one government to say “stop.” That helps one area, one country, but more needs to be done.

As Johann Hari says in his article, at least 30% of the ocean needs to be closed to fishing, with strict quotas in the remaining 70%. That would take some incredible policing, but it’s what needs doing if we want fish in the ocean.