World Ocean Day Today

[aneliane]

As residents in a country mostly on the sea, just a few facts to be remembered:

Our seas are in great danger :

- Oceans are becoming a huge waste of plastic, and plastic rubbish continents of the size of 6 times Thailand are forming in the Pacific.

- Over 100 000 mammals are dying each year because of plastic particles from plastic refuses integrated to plankton and eaten by small fishes.

We need oceans not just because it's dirty to have our rubbish floating about but also

- Over half of the world's oxygen is provided by ocean, before the trees, it's our 1st source of oxygen

- Oceans are regulating the climate

- They are tomorrow's chemist; Jellyfish for Alzheimer, herring for Aids, starfish against cancer, etc...

- Half of the world's population 3 billions of people relies on oceans as only source of protein.

What we can do reduce our use of plastic:

- bring your own bag to shop

- choose products with less packaging

- use more ecofriendly cleaning products and toiletries

Remember : what you reject get eventually in the sea, back in you lungs and plate : 12 different heavy metals are found in sushi

[sirineou]

Thank you Anelien

At 55 years old I would probably be dead before the proverbial Poo poo hits the fan, it has already started to smell to high heaven, but as the father of a 17 yer old Daughter I am always troubled by the world I am leaving behind for her.

Plastic bags everywhere, after a rain the sewers clogged by them

Global warming, ocean acidification .

This is all there is, no other place to go to

Food for thought

[aneliane]

Thank you Anelien

At 55 years old I would probably be dead before the proverbial Poo poo hits the fan, it has already started to smell to high heaven, but as the father of a 17 yer old Daughter I am always troubled by the world I am leaving behind for her.

Plastic bags everywhere, after a rain the sewers clogged by them

Global warming, ocean acidification .

This is all there is, no other place to go to

Food for thought

Nice photos, thank you

You might witness the Sh.. earlier than you think as they forecast no more fish in the sea within 5 years

[sirineou]

^^^^ These pictures help to put thing in to perspective

The Earth is not the big place we thought it was a generation ago, and we need to get over that old thinking.

When I flew to Thailand. (which by the way blew my fair share of carbon ) I got to Thailand by Qutar air over Europe, if I had flown back with a different airline that fly the other way, I would have flown around the world, and would have done it in less the 48 hrs.That's how small the world is.

It is said that as Christ was dying in the cross, said "Forgive the father for they know not what they are doing"

and that can be true of the farmers,in Thailand , burning to clear their land, to the point where in Chiang Mai you can hardly see across the street.

But what is our excuse in the west? are we all fighting for the best seat on the Titanic?

[David48]

You might witness the Sh.. earlier than you think as they forecast no more fish in the sea within 5 years (my bolding)

Source for your above statement?

BTW ... I support you bringing this day to the attention of the Forum.

[Rsquared]

Yes I do not agree about there being no fish in the next 5 years.

Mother nature is quite resilient and very adaptable.......what we consider many life-times and generations, is not even a nanosecond in the life of the planet.

In the same breath I am still disgusted with the amount of plastic waste we as a species have produced as stated in OP, more so after coming to Thailand for 10 years and now living here, I am gobsmacked at the amount of plastic that is used here.....just one dish of (take-away) noodle soup from a street vendor can involve up to 4 separate plastic bags.

Edit: added take-away.

[sirineou]

You might witness the Sh.. earlier than you think as they forecast no more fish in the sea within 5 years (my bolding)

Source for your above statement?

BTW ... I support you bringing this day to the attention of the Forum.

Though the statement that there will be no fish in the sea with in 5 years might be a bit of a hyperbole .

It is true that the commercial fish stocks are crushing.

According to an article published in the Washington Post in 2006,

http://www.washingto...6110200913.html

"An international group of ecologists and economists warned yesterday that the world will run out of seafood by 2048 if steep declines in marine species continue at current rates, based on a four-year study of catch data and the effects of fisheries collapses"

The steep declines quoted in 2006 have not only, not stopped from declining, but have accelerated .

Further more, ocean acidification , is threatening coral reefs with extinction, and thus the production of plankton, and zooplankton . As we all know plankton is the bases of the food cycle in the oceans.

in addition Acidification threatens mollusks by affecting their ability to grow shells, and cephalophods .

http://www.ocean-acidification.net/FAQeco.html

so the Op statment might not be so far of the mark

[sirineou]

Yes I do not agree about there being no fish in the next 5 years.

Mother nature is quite resilient and very adaptable.......what we consider many life-times and generations, is not even a nanosecond in the life of the planet.

.

I agree that mother nature is resilient,

it will adapt to an ocean with out the fish we know and love. and perchance, a planet with out as.

and then in a million years, the earth will rebound, and an other species will take a shot at evolution.

[aneliane]

You might witness the Sh.. earlier than you think as they forecast no more fish in the sea within 5 years (my bolding)

Source for your above statement?

BTW ... I support you bringing this day to the attention of the Forum.

Unfortunately she's French : French sailor known for her rowings across the Atlantic (2003) and Pacific (2005) ,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maud_Fontenoy who is now working at saving the oceans

http://www.canalplus.fr/c-infos-documentaires/pid3847-c-la-nouvelle-edition.html?progid=656602

[MrRealDeal]

A most sensible post

[sirineou]

You might witness the Sh.. earlier than you think as they forecast no more fish in the sea within 5 years (my bolding)

Source for your above statement?

BTW ... I support you bringing this day to the attention of the Forum.

Unfortunately she's French : French sailor known for her rowings across the Atlantic (2003) and Pacific (2005) ,

http://en.wikipedia....i/Maud_Fontenoy who is now working at saving the oceans

http://www.canalplus...l?progid=656602

Now I am confused

First why is it unfortunate that your source is French

and second, how does rowing across the Atlantic qualify as research in marine biology.

[aneliane]

You might witness the Sh.. earlier than you think as they forecast no more fish in the sea within 5 years (my bolding)

Source for your above statement?

BTW ... I support you bringing this day to the attention of the Forum.

Unfortunately she's French : French sailor known for her rowings across the Atlantic (2003) and Pacific (2005) ,

http://en.wikipedia....i/Maud_Fontenoy who is now working at saving the oceans

http://www.canalplus...l?progid=656602

Now I am confused

First why is it unfortunate that your source is French

and second, how does rowing across the Atlantic qualify as research in marine biology.

1/ not everyone is fluent in french here

2/ she's the representative of World Ocean day in france

[sirineou]

^^^^^^

I Understand

Sorry, but Not speaking French my self, I can't benefit from the contents of the video.

I wonder what evidence she presents that indicate that there will be no fish in the sea in 5 years.

If we only knew some one who speaks French , perhaps they can paraphrase .

Here is a "TED Talk" video on "How we wrecked the Ocean" in English.

and an other one , "The sea of plastic"

[media=]

[David48]

Some English language relevance ...

Europeans Fish Weeks raise awareness

08 Jun 2012

Today is World Oceans Day and OCEAN2012 is launching the third European Fish Weeks, when European citizens will organise public events to raise awareness of overfishing and of decision-makers’ responsibility to end it.

Although the situation is slowly improving, many EU fish populations are still being overfished, with 19% of assessed stocks below safe biological limits.

“European Fish Weeks is about explaining why we must end overfishing, or fishing will be over,” said Uta Bellion, director of the Pew Environment Group’s European Marine Programme and OCEAN2012 co-ordinator. “Our leaders have the responsibility to stop overfishing, and citizens have the responsibility to encourage and support them to make the right decisions.”

According to recently published data:

• For the past 30 years, annual fishing quotas have been set one-third higher than recommended as safe by EU fishery scientists
  
• The value of restoring fish stocks to healthy levels could be worth €3.2bn per year to the EU
  
• The European Commission’s latest figures indicate that there is less overfishing of assessed EU fish stocks, but there are also fewer stocks that can be reliably assessed
  

“We are encouraged by the number of activities planned for the third European Fish Weeks, which demonstrates the growing desire of European citizens to see an end to overfishing,” said Ms Bellion.

Source:- http://www.worldfishing.net/news101/europeans-fish-weeks-raise-awareness

[David48]

Related ... something I didn't know was that Thailand, according to this article is the world's largest tuna exporter

Pressure on Thailand to export more tuna

07 Jun 2012

Thailand, the world's largest tuna exporter, is coming under pressure to export more this year, although most are cautious about the prospect.

Wimol Jantrarotai, director-general of the Fishery Department, told the Bangkok Post newspaper an increase largely depends on how much raw tuna is secured.

"Apart from the declining supply of tuna, limits on the number of tuna ships and pirate attacks have dampened the industry's prospects even as demand keeps rising in the global market," said Dr Wimol.

Narin Niruttinanon, deputy general manager of Thai Union Manufacturing Co, backed up this and suggested Thailand's tuna exports could actually slip this year because supplies are constrained.

Source:- http://www.worldfishing.net/news101/pressure-on-thailand-to-export-more-tuna

[aneliane]

Yes I do not agree about there being no fish in the next 5 years.

Mother nature is quite resilient and very adaptable.......what we consider many life-times and generations, is not even a nanosecond in the life of the planet.

In the same breath I am still disgusted with the amount of plastic waste we as a species have produced as stated in OP, more so after coming to Thailand for 10 years and now living here, I am gobsmacked at the amount of plastic that is used here.....just one dish of (take-away) noodle soup from a street vendor can involve up to 4 separate plastic bags.

Edit: added take-away.

Hence you use this