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Research Article: Froese, Rainer and Proelß, Alexander (2012) Evaluation and Legal Assessment of Certified Seafood Marine Policy
— Larry Pynn of the Vancouver Sun, Marine mammals coming back to the Salish Sea
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Margaret Wente, The agony of David Suzuki - The Globe and Mail
And I agree with David Suzuki. The current ecological crises are consequent to the Western system of values which not only pursues economic advantage above all else, but pursues it with no regard for the rights of the oppressed.
“A major new study has quashed fears that onshore windfarms are causing long-term damage to bird populations, but found new evidence that some species are harmed when windfarms are built. The study by conservationists into the impacts on 10 of the key species of British upland bird, including several suffering serious population declines, concluded that a large majority of species can co-exist or thrive with windfarms once they are operating.”
Where is your N.I.M.B.Y. now, haters? Let’s get wind farms going while we still can.
Ocean acidification has the potential to be one of the most destructive symptoms of our evermore gluttonous lifestyles here in the West. This study confirms the consequence against shell-making bivalves like oysters that scientists dreaded it would have.
“Unfortunately it’s [manta rays’] gill rakers which make mantas a target for unsustainable fishing. Traded for use in Chinese medicine, the market for gill rakers is on the rise.” (via Magnificent Manta Rays Deserve a Big Shout Out | Project AWARE)
— Kyler Richard Way, Module 10 Biodiversity, Overfishing - Our Perspectives
The forgotten fish?
Shark finning is a massive, multi million dollar industry. But there’s another fish that’s more endangered (in fact, the IUCN once described this as one of the most endangered species on earth) that’s also being killed illegally for one small component of its body. Above is the beluga, or Huso huso. Not the whale, but the sturgeon. Growing up to some massive sizes of 1500 kilos and 7.2 meters long (as one specimen caught in 1827) and living for up to 100 years it is also the oldest living family of bony fish. It is hunted for its roe. Beluga caviar is one of the most exclusive and sought after types of caviar, and severe overfishing has caused this beautiful fish to be classified as critically endangered by the IUCN.Beluga caviar can sell for as much as 10,000$ per kilo depending on the quality, with a special sort (harvested exclusively from females at least a 100 years of age) going for some 25,000$ per kilo.
Much like the shark, the beluga is an apex predator in its environment, and it would be a shame to see such a beautiful fish disappear.
![“Unfortunately it’s [manta rays’] gill rakers which make mantas a target for unsustainable fishing. Traded for use in Chinese medicine, the market for gill rakers is on the rise.” (via Magnificent Manta Rays Deserve a Big Shout Out | Project AWARE)](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2hlwzNyfP1qf0bxgo1_400.jpg)
