Researchers
from the National Oceanography Center in Southampton, UK for the first
time have analyzed humans’ physical footprint on the ocean sea floor of
the Northeast Atlantic Ocean.
Their study concluded that the human
activity with the greatest physical impact is bottom trawling fishing.
Other human activities considered were munitions and chemical dumping,
scientific research, telecommunications cables, and oil and gas
drilling.
After mapping and estimating the spatial extent of
each activity’s impact on the sea floor, it was found that non-fisheries
scientific research had a relatively small footprint, whereas
fisheries-related research, oil and gas activities and cable laying had a
moderate effect.
Bottom trawling by the fishing industry,
however, caused by far the most devastation, with its spatial extent
estimated to be at least ten times that of the other intentional
activities, and a physical footprint more extensive than all other
activities combined.
Our thanks, research team at the UK’s
National Oceanography Center for this wake-up call to the damaging
effects of bottom trawling fishing.
Let us swiftly halt all such harmful actions that are impacting the oceans and work toward repairing our planet.
Supreme
Master Ching Hai has frequently addressed the growing emergency state
of the seas due to fishing practices, as in an interview published in
the September 2009 edition of the British Parliament's The House
Magazine.
Supreme Master Ching Hai:
If we do end the killing of fish in the spirit of showing respect for
all created life, the fish will rebound very quickly. But the
continuation of fishing activities could damage the balance of marine
life beyond its ability to recover.
Analysis by British
researchers of hundreds of years of fishing records has revealed to us
the devastating effects of trawling to both the marine environment and
sea life.
One scientist compared this method to harvesting apples by
lowering a giant net and dragging it through the orchard, thus
destroying the trees, destroying the very life that supports the fruit.
Please,
request the media’s help in spreading info about the detriments of
trawling and the dire state of fish populations today. Another extremely
effective practice would be to stop eating fish and advocate the same
for all citizens.
http://www.physorg.com/news203684995.html http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/09/human-impacts-on-deep-sea-floor-measured-for-first-time.php http://planetsave.com/2010/09/15/massive-human-impact-on-the-deep-seafloor/