Right Whales and Lobsters: lobstermen working to protect endangered whale

In addition to the Shark-Free Marina Initiative gaining a foothold in the northeast, the Ocean Conservancy is reporting progress with lobster fisherman in developing techniques to better protect whales, particularly the highly endangered Right Whale, from entanglement in their fishing lines.

Fisherman from Maine to Massachusetts are finding it benefits them in terms of overall cost efficiency to use fewer traps (greater yield vs. the cost to service/maintain). They are also switching to sinking rope that connect the traps, rather than the floating rope which was used in the past and posed a hazard to the whales. And there are more steps being considered.

The right whale population, hunted extensively off the New England coast until about 65 years ago, now numbers only about 400 individuals. They are one of the most endangered marine mammals on the planet. Yet, while no longer a target of harpoons, two human activities continue to pose major risks. The first is ship strikes. The second risk is entanglement in fishing gear, especially the heavy lines of lobster gear.

"The steps that Massachusetts lobstermen have taken are an important start to getting endangered whale populations on the road to recovery," said Vicki Cornish, vice president of marine wildlife conservation at Ocean Conservancy.

"The Massachusetts lobstermen have stepped up to the plate and been proactive in their participation," says lobsterman Mark Ring. 'We didn’t always all agree, but we are doing as much as we can do to protect these whales."

Bill Adler, executive director of the Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association, echoed the sentiment, saying, "We are the first in the nation to take important steps to protect whales with our fishing gear. We hope to set an example for other fisheries along the East Coast."

Read entire Ocean Conservancy article.

Ocean Conservancy's 2008 Coastal Cleanup Day: here's the dirt

For several years the Ocean Conservancy has been holding the International Coastal Cleanup Day in late September. On that day, people, from scuba divers to beachcombers, clean up beaches, shorelines, and local dive sites, collecting trash that is measured and listed in several categories - not only is it important to pick the trash up, but it is equally important to understand what kind of trash is making its way into our coastal waters.

For 2008, 400,000 participated worldwide and collected 6.8 million pounds of trash - that's 3,400 tons in one day! In terms of sheer numbers, the biggest culprits were cigarettes, plastic bags, and food wrappers/containers. Some items were perhaps not so surprising, like 1.3 million cigarette butts in the United States; others were a bit of a surprise, like over 11,000 diapers in the Philippines - even small countries can generate lots of trash from today's "modern convenience" items.

The Ocean Conservancy has issued several summary reports. There's an executive summary or the full report available in PDF (click here). As far as solutions go, the report offers several but nothing that is new or unique - it doesn't take a unique solution to fix what is an obvious problem: public and commercial participation, more recycling, better coastal management. Here are 10 suggestions from the Ocean Conservancy for any individual to consider:

	Volunteer for Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup.
	Put trash in a secure, lidded receptacle - most marine debris starts out on land.
	Properly recycle everything you can in your area.
	When boating, bring your trash back to shore, and ask your marina to handle waste properly.
	Less is more: Don't buy stuff you don't need, and choose items that use less packaging.
	Inform and inspire your friends and co-workers to help stop marine debris at the source.
	Bring your own containers for picnics instead of using disposables. Take your own reusable bags whenever you go shopping.
	Write to companies or visit local businesses and encourage them to reuse, recycle, and generate less packaging.
	Put cigarette butts in ashtrays, not on streets, sidewalks, or beaches.
	Write to your elected officials and ask them to support policies that protect our ocean.

Congratulations to the Ocean Conservancy for another successful proactive environmental event. Let's look forward to the day when the International Coastal Cleanup Day is cancelled due to lack of trash!

Saving the Arctic: petitioning the U.S. to step up to the plate

Several leading conservation organizations along with the mayors of San Francisco and Pacific Grove, California; and Juneau, Homer, and Shishmaref, Alaska have petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish comprehensive regulations governing greenhouse gases to protect the Arctic regions and, in so doing, North America and the world.

"We're all in the same boat—whether you live in northern Alaska or southern California, we all have a stake in the enormous impacts climate change is already having on the Arctic," said Keith Addis, Chairman of Oceana's Board of Directors. "Quite simply, as goes the Arctic, so goes the planet."

The conservation groups included the Ocean Conservancy, Oceana, and Alaska Conservation Solutions. Trying to undo years of neglect or political intransigence on the part of the EPA, efforts are being made to get the EPA back on track, particularly in light of growing scientific evidence as to the effects of climate change - from melting sea ice and permafrost to encroaching warm climate flora and fauna to changing weather patterns, caused by fossil fuels and/or other man-made activities - by using the Clean Air Act as the vehicle to provide the EPA with the federal authority it requires to protect the public and the environment.

"As the Arctic melts, California feels the heat. The Arctic is where these impacts are seen first, but the effects experienced by Alaska communities are not only crucial to the people who there, they are a wake up call that our economies and communities are at risk everywhere," said Dr. Denny Kelso, Executive Vice-President for Ocean Conservancy.

I had the opportunity to document on film the effects of climate change in the Arctic - including striking footage of the lowest recorded levels of summer sea ice - for the marine research and education organization, InMER. Some of the results and images from that expedition will be available soon as part of a leading internet company's online ocean project, currently under wraps but should debut in the next few weeks.

If change is to come in how the U.S. government operates, as has been touted throughout the recent presidential election, the EPA is one agency that needs to review its original charter and take a leadership role. (Read Ocean Conservancy press release.)

Goods News re: Arctic Fishing and Hawaiian Monk Seal

Whether it's due to a sincere interest in conservation or the need for a lame duck administration to establish a favorable legacy, the federal government has taken positive action lately on two oceanic fronts, separated by thousands of miles:

• Oceana reports that the federal government has enacted a policy to halt expansion of commercial fishing in Arctic waters and will continue to support international efforts to do the same, hoping to ultimately reach international agreement on the effective management of commercial fishing throughout the Arctic Ocean. Arctic ecology is already being impacted by the effects of climate change; potential changes to the populations of Arctic marine species do not need to be exacerbated by industrial commercial fishing operations. Read the complete press release.

• According to the Ocean Conservancy, the federal government is preparing to expand the protected area for the Hawaiian Monk Seal, one of the most threatened of all marine mammals. Currently protected in the northwestern Islands, the seal's protected territory could be expanded to include the main islands where a healthier population exists. Read the complete press release.

It feels good to post some encouraging news from time to time!

New Data on Greenhouse Gases: time to act . . . now

Many of you who read this blog are already concerned and committed marine conservationists and so you are familiar with issues regarding greenhouse gas output and the effect it has on our climate. Here's some more disconcerting news . . .

Yesterday, international researchers from the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released new numbers indicating that the level of carbon emissions/greenhouse gases is increasing ahead of projected levels. It was anticipated that levels might decrease due to the economic downturn's impact on energy use over the past few years. Unfortunately, data shows that carbon dioxide output rose 3% from 2006 to 2007.

"Things are happening very, very fast," Professor Corrine Le Quere, University of Anglia, told the Associated Press. "It's scary." "We should be worried - really worried," Richard Moss, World Wildlife Fund, told the Washington Post. "This is happening in the context of trying to reduce emissions."

The new data also shows that the forest and oceans, which absorb carbon dioxide, are having less impact. The rising level of emissions is exceeding the ability of these ecosystems to take in carbon dioxide - they are simply being overloaded. The trees and oceans can't do it all; they can't save us from ourselves.

China is currently the largest polluter, with the U.S. in second. Developing countries like India and Indonesia are rapidly increasing their emissions as these nations develop more energy-intensive industries. New data continues to come in and with it the situation continues to become more dire. We need to take more decisive action - all of us, consumers, industry, and governments.

Here's a start: the Ocean Conservancy has a form you can fill out online and send a message to your government officials. Just a first step but we all have to start somewhere.

International Coastal Cleanup Day: September 20th

Saturday, September 20th marks the date for Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup. This is when we can all chip in - above and below the waves - to help clean up our local coastlines. More than a beautification project, it can also have a profound effect on the overall health of our local marine eco-systems.

According to the Ocean Conservancy, last year over six million pounds was cleared from the oceans and waterways - all documented. SIX MILLION POUNDS!

Check out the Ocean Conservancy web site to see where and how you can sign up to assist with collecting and documenting your efforts. I will be diving in Orange County, California waters with my good friend from PADI, Budd Riker, on behalf of Project AWARE.

Here's a perfect opportunity to make a direct contribution to cleaning up our water planet. Join in!