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Across the globe, from the Gulf of Mexico to the South China Sea,
reefs are being destroyed. If such wanton destruction continues, 70% of
all reefs may be irretrievably damaged by year 2010. In the
Philippines, for example, years of sewage, pollution, soil erosion,
over-fishing, blast fishing, and more recently deadly cyanide fishing,
has nearly killed the archipelago's 34,000 sq.km. of reef.
The world's tropical mangrove swamps are being
turned into intensive shrimp farms; modern industrial fishing fleets,
subsidised by governments, are overtaxing 70% of the world's fish
stocks as fishers catch fish faster than they can reproduce. Some
fisheries have totally collapsed, destabilising fishing communities.
In the North Sea, industrial fishing is creating
vast dead-zones where dredge nets held down by heavy chains are dragged
across the sea-bed. Long-line fishing in Hawaii and Midway Atoll is
killing endangered species such as green turtles and black-footed
albatrosses by the tens of thousands
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Cod, tuna, sharks, coral-reef fish - even sea
horses, as well as hundreds of other sea creatures, are in danger of
near-total destruction. Humankind must no longer ignore this careless
disregard of ocean life. The seas are dying. We, as consumers, can make
a difference by choosing to eat, for example, only fish from
sustainable fisheries.
Global Ocean is looking NOW. It is committed to
turning the tide of humanity's wanton destruction of marine life and to
protecting one of the Earth's great live-giving sources. It will
therefore continue to promote the survival of all marine life by
supporting the endeavours of individuals and organisations all around
the world.
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