News
World Oceans Day 2010
By Matt J. Weiss, June 8, 2010 @ 11:49 AM (EST)
Last year, for the first official World Oceans Day, DPG highlighted three issues that threaten the ocean – climate change, the fishery crisis, and shark finning. It was my hope that on this years Ocean Day, I could report on the progress that has been made on these three issues. However, two new threats that require immediate attention have arose in the months preceding World Oceans Day 2010, and have erased any hopes of celebrating.
June 8th 2010 happens to mark the 50th day that the Gulf Oil Spill has gushed millions of gallons of oil into the ocean. It’s been a highly documented environmental disaster, and the biggest oil spill in U.S. history. The Gulf of Mexico is the world’s 11th largest body of water and home to hundreds of species that will be affected by the oil as spreads throughout the areas marshes and wetlands. So much remains unclear about the oil spill, including how many gallons of oil have been released into the ocean, how the spill will affect the marine food chain, and, unfortunately, how to fix it.
Marine mammals are particularly vulnerable to oil spills as they are air breathers and are capable if ingesting the oil at the surface. It would seem likely that the oil spill would present the biggest threat to whales this June, but sadly this is not the case. June marks the month that the International Whaling Commission (IWC) will vote on the proposal to lift on the ban on commercial whale hunting.
In 1986, the IWC declared a ban on commercial whaling. For the last two and a half decades, whales have received relative protection from hunters. The decision has long been lauded as one of the greatest conversation victories of the 20th century. This June, Japan, Iceland and Norway who have illegally been hunting whales over the last two and half decades through various loopholes in the law, may be given their license to legally hunt whales commercially.
Marine mammals are particularly vulnerable to oil spills as they are air breathers and are capable if ingesting the oil at the surface. It would seem likely that the oil spill would present the biggest threat to whales this June, but sadly this is not the case. June marks the month that the International Whaling Commission (IWC) will vote on the proposal to lift on the ban on commercial whale hunting.
In 1986, the IWC declared a ban on commercial whaling. For the last two and a half decades, whales have received relative protection from hunters. The decision has long been lauded as one of the greatest conversation victories of the 20th century. This June, Japan, Iceland and Norway who have illegally been hunting whales over the last two and half decades through various loopholes in the law, may be given their license to legally hunt whales commercially.
So while June is supposed to be the month we celebrate our world’s oceans, in 2010 it happens to be particularly ominous month for the ocean. Not only is our nation facing one the biggest ecological disasters in its history with the Gulf oil spill, but also may be witnessing the destruction of one its greatest ecological achievements – the ban on commercial whaling.
So while June 8th is officially Ocean Day, it is important that we remember every day needs to be ocean day -- now more than ever.
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