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Marine protection – a pound of prevention

Posted by: Maven on April 22, 2009 at 8:19 am

From the San Francisco Chronicle, this commentary by former legislator John Laird:

As we celebrate the 39th annual Earth Day, we cannot forget the oceans, which cover 70 percent of the Earth’s surface.

Although we cannot always see what’s happening below the surface of California’s waters, we know our actions have an impact. Pollution, dams, habitat destruction and overfishing all take a toll. Our fisheries are a renewable resource, but they are not infinite. We have to manage them responsibly, or more species may go the way of California’s salmon population. The Marine Life Protection Act is about prevention.

I remember Leon Panetta, Monterey’s longtime representative in Congress and now head of the CIA, talking about the Monterey of his youth, where sardines reigned. It was not just the local economy that revolved around Cannery Row, but as author John Steinbeck described it, local culture did as well. When sardines were overfished and the industry died, it didn’t just kill off a species of fish, but a way of life.

And so it is with our other fisheries – it’s not just an industry that’s at stake when marine health declines. It is not just the anglers who suffer when salmon season is put on hold.

Read more of John Laird’s commentary by clicking here.

April 22, 2009 · Filed Under Oceans & Beaches

Comments

One Response to “Marine protection – a pound of prevention”

  1. edsofish on April 28th, 2009 9:40 pm

    Mr. Laird, I find the statements you’ve made very misleading and not well informed.

    To clarify, the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative (MLPAI) is about ecosystem protection, not prevention. Further, “overfishing” is illegal and is not practiced in California.

    Salmon have been impacted by over-drafting of water to feed water intensive crops in the desert regions of California, and, salmon are not included in the list of “species most likely to benefit” from Marine Protected Areas (MPA’S) due to their high level of mobility.

    It has been proven that sardines were not overfished but were subject to normal fluctuations in oceanic conditions. They are currently flourishing.

    Our State ocean waters are in excellent health with current regulations and your statement about ocean resources going the way of the salmon is very misleading. Further, MPA’s will not protect from climate change, acidification, storms, or oil spills.

    Once again, salmon issues have nothing to do with the ocean.

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