The worlds’ cetaceans are under real pressure - some on the brink of extinction
Over 300 cetacean scientists has recently written an open letter about the current situation for the worlds cetaceans. The letter tell us that the cetaceans are under increasing pressure from human activities, and that more than fifty percent of the living 90 cetacean spices now have a concerning conservation status as pointed out in the article “What does it mean when a whole community of scientists from across the world calls for urgent action on whale, dolphin and porpoise conservation?”:
“In my experience of working in the field of marine mammal conservation and welfare for over a quarter century, this is an extraordinary development. The statement highlights the fact that of the 90 living cetacean species, more than half now have a concerning conservation status and many discrete populations are also in trouble.”
The Critically Endangered vaquita of the Gulf of California whose number stands no more than 22, according to the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita (CIRVA), and possibly as low as 10 individuals according to the open letter, needs urgent attention.
The UN environment programme writes this about the vaqiuta:
…it’s numbers have declined by more than 90 per cent in the last two decades, largely due to illegal fishing for another endangered species that shares its habitat — the totoaba, prized for its swim bladders. Vaquita drown when they get trapped in gillnets (large vertical nets) used to catch the totoaba and die from asphyxiation, unable to surface for air.
And here is a quote from the open letter:
Human activity is what needs to change, and it’s time now for those of us that feel the call to action to join forces and walk the talk. There are ways to act on this no matter our resources and background. My choice of action the last years has been to support Greenpeace with monthly donations, signing their campaigns, and sharing information on social media platforms. And since I’m getting back into computer programming and web development I’m looking into joining open source projects like Greenpeace’ Planet 4 which was created to help people to act on environmental issues.
It feels fulfilling to be part of the solution in whatever way I can, the “burden of powerlessness” I’ve collected over the years is getting lighter and I experience a new sense of freedom and a knowing in my heart that the future is created by humans that act on their ideas. I belive the main question to ask myself and all fellow human beings is; which future are you going to choose for yourself? The one where to many people ignore the environment they live in and have to face the concequece of that, or the one where enough people have the willingness to act on their love and care for the planet and successfully transform the human collective behaviour to a sustainable way of life? My behaviour is part of that equation if I want it to or not, so I choose to be part of the momentum of creating the future I think most of us would like for our children and for all life on our planet.
A few of the groups working to protect and restore the worlds oceans:
Read more about these as well as other environmental organizations focusing on protecting the oceans here. Let me know if you have any suggestions to add to the list. There are plenty of options and ways to get involved and share our skills, talents and resources to make the difference needed.
And there is good news out there, the covid lockdowns has made it very obvious that if we change our ways, nature will bounce back into equilibrium.
A quote from asianews.it:
“Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, the rare Chinese pink dolphin has reappeared in Hong Kong waters.”
Acting on our visions is needed and is the manifestation of our love and care for the planet, and also ourselves, so why not act today? 🌏
