Hat tip to commenter Kelly. Consider the Bluefin Tuna. Highly prized meat, commercially valuable, the science points to serious over-harvesting, yet was not deemed by CITES as a species worth saving this year. NOW, these struggling tuna have to swim through a sludge and their babies have to deal with a toxic environment. We just need a ‘Mission Accomplished’ banner and we’re set.
5 Replies to “Spawning in the Oil”
Comments are closed.
I have never been an environmentalist, not belonging to any group that is, but I have discovered lately that I have a very deep love for this earth, and all species that struggle to live upon it, my heart just aches when I think about the damage we are doing to our wonderful planet, I almost cry literal tears when I see animals that are harmed, doesn’t matter if its a dog or a fish or even a clam! This oil spill has really impacted my life, and I don’t live anywhere near the gulf, I am in Salt Lake City, Utah. Because of this oil spill, I am going to do my part to become as eco-friendly as I can be, I realize its going to be hard, but everyone needs to do something or we won’t have a place on this earth any longer. any advice for things I can do or how to get involved would be welcome.
I agree with you Rhel, well said. I am so angry at the oil companies and how they handle this major WORLD problem. I know there will be a protest in my country Canada, and people up here had enough. So to the US, your not alone in this.
To be slightly contrarian, tuna are long-lived so a single year with little or no spawning might not be catastrophic (not great, but not a disaster for the species either). This might even be good news for the fish, if it means there’s more pressure to red-list it, and get fishing banned.
well, mr contrarian, how about a few DECADES without a decent spawning? especially when the adults are being “harvested” (or “by-catched”) into extinction, even as the babies are being destroyed by oil and its toxins? and CITES is filled with so many gutless, spineless wonders, it’s amazing that the delegates haven’t been formally described as a new and highly invasive alien species …