The
United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) has released a report
cautioning of the significant risk to these marine mammals especially by
large-scale fishing operations.
The study stated that 86% of
all toothed-whale cetaceans are seriously threatened by entanglement or
capture in gillnets, driftnets, trawls and other types of fishing gear.
As
an example, the scientists cited China’s Baiji River Dolphin, which has
not been sighted for many years in the Yangtze River, as well as the
Vaquita porpoise residing in the northern Gulf of California, whose
population has diminished to only 150 remaining in the wild. Both of
these species have perished in high numbers due to entanglements in
fishing gear.
UNEP Executive Secretary Elizabeth Mrema stated
that governments need to increase their efforts to implement protective
policies for the survival of the cetacean species.
Our earnest
appreciation United Nations Environment Program for revealing the impact
of fishing’s detrimental practices on our unique marine mammal friends.
May all countries join in acting now to protect the lives of these and
all precious fellow beings.
In her tireless endeavors to ensure
the welfare of the Earth’s inhabitants, Supreme Master Ching Hai has
often emphasized the need to halt fishing, as during a November 2008
interview with Ireland’s East Coast Radio FM.
Supreme Master Ching Hai:
We have to stop it. Just stop the fishing. The government has to forbid
fishing because it’s too important to our survival to delay any
further.
Not only is there overfishing and depleting of marine
life, but there is also side killing. Like when the commercial long
liners go fishing,
they’re killing tens of thousands of sea
turtles, by the way, and hundreds of thousands of sea birds and millions
of sharks every year.
To stop this destructive practice of
fishing, the solution is the vegan diet, no fishy stuff in our meals.
The sea offers us plenty of better food choices; the wide varieties of
super healthy and nutritious sea plants.
We can even live on it forever. We must protect a living and healthy sea, as it relates to our living and healthy self.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=33677&Cr=unep&Cr1= http://www.physorg.com/news184500664.htmlhttp://www.cms.int/reports/small_cetaceans/general_summary.htm http://www.answers.com/topic/odontocetes