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Environmental Issues Worth Paying Attention

 AUG 15 2011

If you care about sustainable communities, what topics do you pursue? A leading green organization outlines its priorities.

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NRDC’s work for sustainable communities at the neighborhood scale and on regional planning is designed to address multiple environmental issues simultaneously. But, at the same time, moving toward sustainability requires work on selected individual issues in a focused way, bringing significant resources to bear on a limited number of key challenges faced Continue reading “Environmental Issues Worth Paying Attention”

Loose pvc limbs for fish habitat projects

peepaw's picture

By peepaw – Posted on 13 August 2011

Wanted you folks to know that we are now offering our fishiding artificial fish habitat structures shipped loose, with no cement, along with our ready to sink models.

You provide the bucket and the cement,(or use our special formula)http://www.fishiding.com/products/Fishiding-cement-mix and build your own custom fish habitat.

The Build your own habitat http://www.fishiding.com/categories/Build-Your-Own-Fish-Habitat/ page shows you how to buy just the vinyl strips in bulk, saving huge money on shipping.

You provide half of the labor to mix and pour, saving half the cost of our completed models.

You can use as many or as few limbs in each unit as you prefer. Cut them, bend them, you customize what you want.

Check out this month’s discounts and install now for fall/winter fishing this season!

See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover used at fishiding.com, the industry leader and only science based, man made and artificial fish habitat, proven to provide all fish with cover they prefer to prosper.

Get your fish grant money today

12 Aug, 2011 03:14 PM

Grants worth more than half-a-million-dollars are now available for individuals and groups interested in rehabilitating fish habitat throughout the State, Continue reading “Get your fish grant money today”

The Tribe has been duped……

Conservation Futures funds should be used for conservation, not urban parks

August 9th, 2011

If this is how money will be doled out, then the Tribe has been duped into Continue reading “The Tribe has been duped……”

$1.3M more for Black River

Lorain scores…….

Published: Tuesday, August 09, 2011

LORAIN — Federal grants worth more than $1.3 million will pay for Continue reading “$1.3M more for Black River”

Fish habitat on Columbia river looking murky?

Habitat restoration soars on Columbia River, but fish benefits are murky

 Monday, May 09, 2011, 1:39 PM
What should the payback be for habitat restoration? Salmon is the fish in question here as..

Fish habitat Projects Funded by Individual States

More than 800 million has been invested in recent years in these state fish habitat projects alone, see where your money is being spent….

See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover used at fishiding.com, the industry leader and only science based, man made and artificial fish habitat, proven to provide all fish with cover they prefer to prosper.

Below are examples of projects FishAmerica has funded in each state. For a complete list, contact FishAmerica, 703.519.9691

*Indicates a project funded by the Research Projects Committee.

A   C   D   F   G   H   I   L   M   N   O   P   R   S   T   U   V   W   CANADA
ALABAMA

Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (2004: $5,000) To restore fish habitat in Logan-Martin Lake through the placement of brush piles, cut trees, and new aquatic vegetation.

Alabama Department of Conservation & Natural Resources (2004: $5,000) To purchase stocked catfish for the 2004 and 2005 Joe Wheeler Lake Youth Fishing Event at Wheeler Lake.

ALASKA

Youth Restoration Corps (2004: $10,000) To stabilize streambanks and restore fisheries habitat along an acre of the Caribou, Crescent, and Cooper Creeks in Chugach National Forest.

Alaska Association of Conservation Districts (2004: $7,500) To stabilize and revegetate 4,500 square feet of Cottonwood Creek in the Cook Inlet watershed.

ARIZONA

*Anglers United (2000: $15,000) To conduct an economic impact study of an improved Lake Havasu fisheries resource.

Anglers United (2000: $4,400) To purchase fish habitat materials for the final stages of the Lake Havasu Fisheries Improvement Program.

ARKANSAS

Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation and Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (2004: $5,000) To construct and place 20 PVC fish habitat shelters in Beaver Lake.

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (2002: $5,000) To restore sport fishing in Lake Ouachita.

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CALIFORNIA

Aquatic Adventures Science Education Foundation (2004: $25,000) To restore and improve rearing and foraging habitat and water quality at the mouth of the San Diego River.

Sonoma Ecology Center (2004: $49,380) To restore water quality and fisheries habitat for steelhead and chinook salmon in the San Francisco Bay watershed through riparian revegetation.

COLORADO

West Denver Chapter of Trout Unlimited (2003: $1,943) To repair and prevent further erosion damage around three fishing platforms and a dam at an educational center fishing pond.

*Colorado Division of Wildlife (2001: $2,500) To pilot the Colorado fly-fishing Ladies, Let’s GO Fishing Seminar.

CONNECTICUT

Old Saybrook Land Trust (2004: $19,000) To construct a fishway to open 11 mile sand 15 acres of spawning habitat for anadromous fish in the Long Island Sound watershed.

Save the Sound (2000: $17,364) To install an Alaskan steep pass fishway at the Main Street Dam on the Rippowam/Mill River.

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DELAWARE

Delaware Center for the Inland Bays (2003: $1,237) To restore passage of American Eel through the construction of an eelway at Millsboro Pond dam.

Delaware Department of Natural Resources (1991: $5,700) To provide channel catfish and fish attractor devices for restoration project on Silver Lake.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Sport Fishing Institute (1994: $15,000) To support the Sport Fishing Institute’s sport fishing research and conservation program.

Sport Fishing Institute Artificial Reef Development Center (1991: $10,000) To develop a manual on artificial habitat improvement techniques to be used by FishAmerica grantees, civic groups, and sporting clubs.

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FLORIDA

Wildlife Research Team (2004: $35,000) To restore fisheries habitat and reconnect tidal flow to 23 acres of mangrove forest in the Biscayne Bay watershed.

St. Lucie County, Florida (2004: $50,000) To restore tidal flow and fish passage through the replacement of six culverts in the Indian River Lagoon.

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GEORGIA

Lake Oconee Bass Masters & the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (2002: $10,000) To restore fisheries habitat and water quality in Lake Oconee by planting submerged aquatic vegetation and stabilizing the lake’s shorelines.

Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation Authority (1991: $7,600) Second year of funding for a bank stabilization project on the Coosa River.

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HAWAII

Wahiawa Intermediate School (1998: $6,000) To construct a multiple use hatchery and rearing facility on the campus of Wahiawa Intermediate School to spawn and rear largemouth bass for stocking in Lake Wilson.

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IDAHO

West Central Highlands Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc. (2003: $32,000) To create a DNA library of genetic information for bull trout in order to provide insight into the geographic patterns of genetic diversity, degree of population isolation, and the gene flow patterns of bull trout.

Henry’s Fork Foundation (2000: $6,000) To revegetate streambanks along the famed Henry’s Fork of the Snake River.

ILLINOIS

Hofmann Dam River Rats (2002: $5,000) To enhance instream habitat and stabilize the shoreline along the Des Plaines River.

Illinois Conservation Foundation (2000: $4,000) To help construct an artificial reef in southern Lake Michigan near Chicago.

INDIANA

Southeastern Indiana Bass Stocking Association (1987: $1,650) To purchase equipment and supplies for rearing fingerling largemouth bass for stocking in embayments of the Ohio River.

Camp Tecumseh, YMCA (1989: $6,000) To improve habitat for lake that serves Boy Scouts and campers.

IOWA

South Sioux City Community Foundation (2004: $7,500) To restore an fisheries habitat and an urban family fishing area in South Sioux City through streambank stabilization.

Washington County Conservation Foundation (2003: $2,000) To build an interactive display for the new Washington County Conservation Education Center.

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KANSAS

City of Overbrook (2001: $1,000) To purchase 2,000 largemouth bass fingerlings to stock new lake.

Kansas Wildscape Foundation (2000: $1,250) To enhance fish habitat and improve water quality on a 15-acre pond by providing an alternative water source for cattle.

KENTUCKY

Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (2003: $5,000) To restore fisheries habitat by stabilizing 1,600 feet of shoreline on Kentucky Lake.

Twin Lakes Crappie Club (2001: $4,000) To purchase artificial reef habitat material for an enhancement project on Kentucky and Barkley Lakes.

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LOUISIANA

Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation & Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (2004: $5,000) To purchase and stock Phase II Florida strain largemouth bass in Atchafalaya Basin.

New Orleans City Park Improvement Association (2002: $16,500) To improve fisheries habitat in the City Park Lagoon System by installing aerators and improving fish passage into the lagoon.

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MAINE

*Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (2003: $15,660) To determine which of three strains of brook trout will improve survival rate and sportfishing in stocked fishing ponds.

Kennebec County Soil & Water Conservation District (2002: $25,000) To improve fish passage, habitat and water quality in Dearborn Creek by replacing a culvert, removing debris from the streambed and stabilizing the streambanks.

MARYLAND

Severn River Association (2004: $30,000) To restore two acres of fish habitat in Hidden Pond in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

The Potomac Conservancy (2004: $16,422) To improve fisheries habitat and water quality through riparian revegetation in Carroll Creek within the Monocacy River watershed.

MASSACHUSETTS

Town of Dennis, Massachusetts (2004: $28,800) To restore anadromous fish habitat through the replacement of two culverts along Quivett Creek.

Town of Truro, Massachusetts (2004: $17,500) To restore the fisheries habitat of a 717-acre lagoon and salt marsh system in the East Harbor Estuary.

MICHIGAN

Michigan Council of Trout Unlimited (2002: $8,300) To restore fisheries habitat in Michigan’s streams through dredging.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources (2001: $5,000) To stock Pocket Pond, a kids’ fishing pond at the Michigan State Fairgrounds.

MINNESOTA

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (2002: $5,000) To restore instream walleye habitat and improve water quality on the Cannon River by installing habitat structures and stabilizing streambanks.

Outdoor Heritage Education Center (2001: $500) To purchase artificial habitat materials for Swan Lake.

MISSISSIPPI

Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (2004: $29,990) To improve water quality and fisheries habitat through the creation of two  oyster reefs in Back Bay Biloxi and St. Louis Bay.

Holly Springs National Forest  (1997: $27,500) To add 40 gravel spawning beds, 30 brush pile fish attractors, and 250 underwater ledges, channels and islands to Chewalla Lake, a 260-acre recreational fishery which supports bass, bluegill, red ear, and channel catfish populations.

MISSOURI

Florissant-Ferguson School District (2000: $10,000) To construct a ½ acre public fishing pond in the school’s Little Creek Nature area.

Mark Twain National Forest (1999: $4,000) To conduct habitat enhancement projects on Mill Creek, a popular bass and bluegill stream.

MONTANA

The Big Blackfoot Chapter of Trout Unlimited (2003: $20,000) To restore 11,000 feet of the lower Nevada Spring Creek to improve water quality and habitat quantity for westslope cutthroat and brown trout.

Madison-Gallitin Chapter of Trout Unlimited (1998: $6,000) To restore prime spawning and rearing habitat for brown, rainbow, and cutthroat trout through placement of log cover, bank reconstruction, and planting of willows.

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NEBRASKA

National Outdoorsmen’s Conservation Foundation (1984: $2,500) To improve habitat for private ponds open to the public.

NEVADA

Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest (1997: $10,000) To remove a culvert blocking the upstream migration of the bull trout and redband trout.

Las Vegas Flyfishing Club (1990: $840) To construct in-stream habitat structures in Beaver Dam Creek, a tributary of the Schroeder Reservoir.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

*New Hampshire Lakes Association (2002: $9,000) To determine the economic value of New Hampshire’s surface waters showing the importance to recreational fishing and boating.

New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (2002: $10,000) To restore fish passage on the Contoocook River by removing the West Henniker Dam.

NEW JERSEY

New Jersey Conservation Officers Association (2003: $6,650) To restore three ponds, totaling 25 acres, at Pinelands High School in Little Egg Harbor.

Ocean County Planning Department (2001: $8,700) To restore 35 acres of salt marsh in the Barnegat Bay watershed by recreating the natural tidal flow in the marsh.

NEW MEXICO

New Mexico Trout (1998: $10,000) To purchase fencing and native riparian vegetation for a habitat restoration and hands-on environmental education project on the Santa Fe River.

NEW YORK

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (2004: $50,000) To install a fishway to open up 29 miles of spawning and nursery habitat for American shad.

Trout Unlimited-Art Flick Chapter (2003: $21,830) To install a fish ladder at Hard’s Lake Dam on the Carmans River to open more than 30 acres of spawning habitat and two miles of riverine habitat.

NORTH CAROLINA

North Carolina Coastal Federation (2004: $17,525) To improve water quality and fisheries habitat through the creation of oyster reefs and restoration of 6,000 acres of the North River.

Coastal Conservation Association–North Carolina & the Long Bay Artificial Reef Association (2002: $10,000) To restore fisheries habitat along coastal North Carolina by creating artificial reefs.

NORTH DAKOTA

North Dakota Game and Fish Department (2003: $25,000) To remove silt, improve streambank rip rap, and improve a spillway structure at the Dickinson Dike on the Missouri River.

Bowman-Slope Conservation District (1994: $5,000) To construct a water control structure and purchase rock rip rap to reduce sedimentation in the Bowman/Haley Reservoir.

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OHIO

Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (2000: $10,000) To purchase 180 Berkley Fish Habs to attract fish and create essential habitat cover at four public lakes.

Lake Improvement Association (1993: $973) To construct fish attractors in Grand Lake St. Mary’s.

OKLAHOMA

Nichols Marine Vision for the Preservation of Fishing (2004: $5,000) To restore 9,000 feet of shoreline through the planting of water willow in Lake Eufaula.

89er Chapter of Trout Unlimited (2002: $8,000) To restore family fishing opportunities in Oklahoma City by installing an aerator in a local fishing pond.

OREGON

Coos Watershed Association (2004: $36,850) To restore instream habitat for salmon and trout in Andersen and Dalton Creeks in the Coos Bay watershed.

*Ducks Unlimited, Inc. (2003: $25,350) To determine and describe the use of floodplain wetlands as over-wintering habitat by young-of-year and yearling coho and chinook salmon and to determine their ability to use water-control structures for passage in and out of wetlands.

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PENNSYLVANIA

Southeastern Pennsylvania Resource Conservation and Development Council (2004: $22,000) To restore anadromous and freshwater fish access to one mile of upstream fisheries habitat in the Delaware River watershed.

Izaak Walton League (2004: $20,000) To create riparian stream buffers, install livestock fencing and reconstruct natural stream channels along 25,000 linear miles of stream in Mill Creek.

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RHODE ISLAND

Eastern Rhode Island Conservation District (2003: $7,000) To restore tidal flow and fish access to Potter’s Cove Pond by replacing damaged culverts.

Town of Warren (2000: $25,000) To restore herring runs on the Kickemuit River by constructing a fish ladder at the Kickemuit Reservoir.

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SOUTH CAROLINA

Coastal Conservation Association, South Carolina (2002: $7,100) To create and restore oyster beds as essential fish habitat in coastal South Carolina.

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (2001: $13,900) To create and restore oyster beds as essential fish habitat in coastal South Carolina.

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (2000: $5,000) To purchase materials to anchor and install Christmas trees in Lake Murray.

SOUTH DAKOTA

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (2003: $13,210) To restore essential fish habitat through the construction/restoration of 30 oyster reefs along the South Carolina coast.

Coastal Conservation Association–South Carolina (2002: $7,100) To create and restore oyster beds as essential fish habitat in coastal South Carolina.

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TENNESSEE

Sumner County Convention and Visitors Bureau (2004: $5,000) To repair a currently existing boat ramp at Bull’s Creek in Old Hickory Lake.

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation (2002: $5,000) To convert a four-acre retention pond into a fish-rearing pond for state hatcheries in the Old Hickory Wildlife Management Area.

TEXAS

Friends of Aransas and Matagorda Island National Wildlife Refuge’s (2004: $12,500) To restore fish passage to the Brundrett Lakes through the replacement of two failing culverts.

Galveston Bay Foundation (2000: $15,000) To restore salt marsh areas in the Galveston Bay area.

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UTAH

State of Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (2003: $16,000) To improve sportfishing opportunities and install fish habitat structures at two fishing ponds Helper and Price cities.

Helper City (1994: $5,275) To assist with habitat (stream channel) improvement to the Price River as part of a comprehensive fishery improvement program.

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VERMONT

NorthWoods Stewardship Center (2004: $6,170) To revegetate nearly six acres of riparian habitat in the third and final phase of the Sleepers River Riparian Restoration Project.

Otter Creek Natural Resources Conservation District  (2003: $15,000) To restore instream habitat and improve water quality along 10 miles of stream in the Lake Champlain watershed.

VIRGINIA

Northumberland Association for Progressive Stewardship (2004: $3,800) To restore fisheries habitat and improve water quality by planting native vegetation on Yeocomico River shorelines.

The Elizabeth River Project (2004: $25,000) To improve water quality and fisheries habitat through restoration of a one-third acre oyster reef at the mouth of Paradise Creek.

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WASHINGTON

Willapa Bay Fisheries Enhancement Group (2004: $48,500) To restore fish passage for salmonids to more than 4.1 miles of upstream spawning habitat in the Willapa Bay watershed.

Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (2004: $10,000) To restore fisheries habitat by stabilizing 2,500 feet of streambank in the Nooksack River watershed.

WEST VIRGINIA

Upper Knapps Creek Watershed Association (2001: $10,000) To restore instream habitat and stabilize streambanks along 17 miles in the Upper Knapps Creek watershed.

Lower Paint Creek Association (2000: $8,000) To stabilize the stream banks and create plunge pools on Paint Creek.

WISCONSIN

Florence County Forestry & Recreation Department (2002: $3,000) To improve walleye populations in Florence County lakes by improving the county’s walleye rearing pond.

Walleyes for Tomorrow (2000: $10,000) To create walleye spawning habitat in Green Bay.

WYOMING

Little Bighorn Chapter of Trout Unlimited (1995: $6,000) To stabilize eroding banks and to create additional plunge pools to increase habitat availability for cutthroat and brook trout on the Little Big Horn and South Tongue.

Flaming Gorge/Lower Green River Chapter of Trout Unlimited (1995: $4,500) To purchase vegetation and conduct riparian stabilization projects on the “Big Bend Areas” of the Big Sandy River.

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CANADA

*The University of British Columbia Fisheries Centre (2003: $20,000) To determine survival rates or marine mortality of juvenile Coho salmon in Howe Sound, British Columbia.

Conservation Niagara Foundation (2003: $13,000) To improve habitat and public fishing opportunities at two of Niagara Peninsula’s popular public fishing areas.

New Habitat for fish

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These full size fish attractors are the largest model of artificial habitat Continue reading “New Habitat for fish”

River has been successfully restored and re-established as fish habitat

Coast in the running for World’s most prestigious environmental award,worth $195,000 to the winner Continue reading “River has been successfully restored and re-established as fish habitat”

Q&A with Ted Danson, author of ‘Oceana’

Q&A with Ted Danson, author of ‘Oceana’

Actor and activist says oceans can recover from overfishing and acidification, but only with our help.

Tue, May 03 2011 at 7:38 AM EST
mug of Ted DansonPhoto: Kate Danson
MNN: What is this book about and why did you decide to write it?
Ted Danson: This book is about the crisis in ouroceans: How did we get here and how do we bring it back to abundance and health. I decided to finally sit down and write it because science is saying we are coming to a tipping point. And science also shows that our oceans can bounce back if we make some necessary changes. People should read this book and be worried about the state of the oceans but they should also walk away feeling hopeful and empowered, knowing that we still have time to solve this problem.
What influenced your dedication to the oceans growing up?
My father was an anthropologist and my mother was a very spiritual person. They taught me that we are part of the world we live in and that we have to understand it and be good stewards. I also had the benefit of having Hopi friends as a kid in Arizona and their appreciation for the natural world had a great influence on me. And while I grew up in Arizona, I always enjoyed the ocean on visits to see family in California. I had a very vivid dream when I was 7 years old. I had a high fever and I woke up screaming and I ran into my parents’ room. They asked me what was wrong and I described my nightmare. I was sitting on the beach and God’s voice said, “Ted, you have one hour to enter the oceans into this bucket,” and then he gave me a spoon with holes in it. Typical young actor’s megalomania in development, maybe, but you’d have to say I’ve been thinking about the oceans for many years!

Why did you feel the need to become an ocean activist?

During my fifth season doing “Cheers” I was living in Santa Monica. I was taking a walk with my daughters on the beach and we came to a sign that read: “Water polluted, no swimming.” I didn’t know how to explain to them why the beach was closed. That was my call to action.
What was the first issue you took on as an ocean activist and what are some of the lessons you learned during those early years of activism?
In the 1980s, the debate on offshore drilling was starting up again. Occidental Petroleum was attempting to start slant drilling off the coast of Malibu. With the help of my friend Robert Sulnick, we set out to protect our coast from offshore drilling — and won. And, then we realized we could do a lot more and started our own oceans organization, American Oceans Campaign. During those early years I learned how much hard work it takes to be successful. I also learned that in order to be effective in conservation you need to rely on science. I have been so lucky to have been able to work with some of the finest ocean scientists and experts in the world.
What is the state of fisheries around the world today?
Eighty percent of seafood fisheries are at their limit of exploitation or already in collapse. We are destroying the oceans from the top down and from the bottom up, and not giving them a chance to recover. We overfish using illegal and destructive methods to take out too many fish. Ninety percent of the large predator fish — sharks, tuna, marlin — in the oceans have disappeared. Carbon emissions cause climate change and ocean acidification, which attacks the lowest level of the food chain, harming coral reefs and killing off food that’s critical for the ocean ecosystem.
How is industrial fishing destroying our oceans and hurting the livelihood of people that depend on the ocean?
The global fishing fleet is estimated to be 2.5 times larger than what the oceans can sustain. Too often, destructive gear is used that kills everything its path. Industrial fishing ships with huge nets catch and kill marine life — dolphins, sea turtles, birds. Bottom trawlers destroy deep sea coral and other seafloor habitats, which provide critical nurseries and feeding grounds for innumerable fish and shellfish species. Destructive fishing also jeopardizes the millions of small-scale fishermen and others who have depended on the oceans for their livelihood for generations. It also threatens the nearly 3 billion people in the world who rely on animal protein that comes from the sea.
Despite all of this, you see this as a pro-fishing book. Can you explain?
I want fishermen to be able to make a living for years to come. And, I want my grandchildren to enjoy fresh, healthy seafood that comes from an abundant ocean. I also want the more than three billion people who depend on fish as a major source of animal protein to be able to continue to do so. Many fishermen know their catch is shrinking. I have spoken with fishermen over the years — some are featured in the book — and they understand, and many support, that changes need to be made in the industry to let the fish populations recover.
Can you still eat seafood while being an advocate for the ocean? Do you still eat seafood?
I love to eat seafood. We should all be able to eat seafood if we choose, and for many people it is a major source of protein. I want people to continue to be able to rely on eating seafood. But we need to start fishing smart and also eating smart. The easiest way to do this is to ask questions. What kind of fish is it? Where was it caught? How was it caught? Was it farmed? Where was it farmed? One good rule of thumb is to try and eat locally caught seafood if you don’t have any more information. And, get a seafood guide. You can find them at Oceana.org and other organizations.
What is seafood fraud and how does it affect consumers?
Seafood fraud has been discovered across the United States — less expensive fish like tilapia have been passed off as grouper and red snapper, for example. It is a disturbing trend and most people don’t know they have been lied to and ripped off, and it disguises the fact that overfishing is taking place. This creates an illusion that we have an endless supply of fish when in actuality, many of these species are on the brink of collapse. The fraud undermines efforts to convince the restaurant-going/supermarket-shopping public that overfishing is a real concern. How can you believe that grouper is at risk when you can have a so-called grouper sandwich every day?
What are fishing subsidies and how do they affect the taxpaying public?
Subsidies are payments governments make to fishing companies to keep fishing. They pay for fuel, nets, trawls and even the vessels themselves. They are paying fishing boats to overfish.  Subsidies pay to maintain a global fishing fleet two-and-a-half times the capacity the oceans can sustain. This is less an issue in the U.S. Tax money pays to catch the fish, then we pay to eat the fish and we are destroying the oceans in the process, which makes the prices for fish higher.
What are flags of convenience and why are they dangerous?
Fishing ship owners flag vessels in places like Panama, the Marshall Islands or Bolivia. The ships then don’t have to adhere to stricter maritime laws from other nations. These boats can catch as many fish as they want in any manner they want. This practice leads to a more startling problem as well. These vessels skirt human rights laws and end up forcing their crew to work long hours in inhumane conditions while making pennies in comparison to the value of their catch.
How does fish farming affect the oceans and our own health?
Fish farming creates more pollution and overfishing pressure around the world. Irresponsible fish farms pollute with fish waste and introduce dangerous chemicals into the food chain (that we then can ingest). It takes up to 5 pounds of smaller fish — all of which are important species to the marine environment and many of which are edible for humans — to create 1 pound of farmed salmon, resulting in a net loss of protein.
How are offshore drilling and climate change related to the failing health of the oceans?
Offshore drilling can pollute the ocean even when there are no accidents because of how it takes place and the many opportunities for oil to end up in the sea. Drilling in the oceans continues to enable our dependence on oil and puts more carbon dioxide into our atmosphere, which leads to rising ocean temperatures and acidification.
What is ocean acidification?
We have filled our atmosphere, and our oceans, with carbon dioxide. As a result, the oceans’ pH balance is out of whack, and the water is becoming more acidic. Acidification prevents animals that build shells and skeletons out of calcium from doing so. Those animals, such as krill and coral reefs for example, are the heart of the ocean food web. Corals provide a home for 25 percent of marine life.
Considering your start in conservation, what were some of your thoughts as you learned about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill?
I was upset for the people in the Gulf. It didn’t need to happen again. This is the same cycle we have seen since the Santa Barbara spill in 1969. We have an oil spill. We react and stop offshore drilling. We are then lulled into a false sense of security because there has not been an accident in years. We loosen regulations. There is another disaster. I am hopeful that we can fix this, though.
What has happened since the BP spill and what still needs to happen?
The Obama administration has removed most of the U.S. coastline from drilling plans, except where drilling is already taking place and part of the Arctic. It’s a step forward, but it’s not enough. Offshore drilling will never be 100-percent accident-free, and we need better monitoring of the oil rigs that are still out on the water. We also need to have a strong commitment to invest in and implement clean energy technology — offshore wind has the potential to generate 30 percent more electricity than offshore oil and gas resources combined.
What can be done to bring the oceans back to health? What can individuals do in their everyday lives to help the oceans?
We need active enforcement of laws already on the books, and governments must stop distributing fishing subsidies that allow overfishing. We need a reduction in the size of the fishing fleet and the most harmful fishing gear should be eliminated. Nations around the world also need to protect habitat and allow fish populations to bounce back. Groups that manage fisheries internationally need to start protecting some of the species that are at risk like bluefin tuna, sharks, swordfish and forage species like krill. As for individuals, my first piece of advice would be to go and enjoy the oceans. Go for a walk on the beach, surf, fish, swim, boat, whatever you like. The more of us that are connected to the oceans the better. And, getting involved is fun and you can make a difference. You can join a group that works on ocean issues, like Oceana. Vote for representatives that want to improve the ocean’s health. And you can eat sustainable seafood and avoid products that are harmful to the oceans. We also need to manage what we put in the environment by reducing our plastic use and conserving our energy use.
Are you optimistic about the future of our oceans?
Yes, I am optimistic, and here’s why: The oceans are resilient. Fish populations can bounce back if given a breather from intense fishing pressure. And, I’ve been doing this for years and I am so impressed by how many more people are becoming aware of the importance of conservation all the time. Most of the oceans’ most vibrant ecosystems — coral reefs, for example — are near coastlines, and people are motivated to save them. We are getting the will, and now we just have to find the way.
This Q&A was provided by Rodale Books, publisher of “Oceana.”

 

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