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Save our Oceans

Discussion in 'YachtForums Yacht Club' started by NEO56, Feb 19, 2015.

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  1. NEO56

    NEO56 Member

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    I'm sick and tired of reading headlines about the destruction of Fish Species, Imported Seafood that barely qualifies as Seafood, Foreign Boats fishing illegally in waters they are not supposed to be in...the list goes on and on. Pollution of our Oceans by Cruise Ships dumping solid waste once out in International waters. The list goes on and on. We here at YF have a collective voice, and we have help. One of the biggest is the Florida Sportsman magazine, they are very pro active but they are limited to their readers and the contacts in Washington. You don't win a war in one fell swoop, you win the war by winning a lot of small battles. If a small bunch of activists can protect the spotted Owl, by God we can make a dent in the overwhelming disaster that is the health of our Oceans. We can find like minded people, it's called networking. And if enough people make enough noise (the squeaky wheel gets the grease) we can make a difference. YF has a collective great set of minds. I've been here awhile, and I constantly see all kinds of people helping complete strangers with problems they are having with their boats, because we all love and have a passion for boats and boating. We should therefore have the same kind of love for trying to preserve the Ocean in which we enjoy our passion.

    I lived in Islamorada for 6 years prior to having to move to Central Florida to take care of my dying Parents. My stay was longer than I thought. 11 years later, I moved back to the Keys. I used to go out fishing with my neighbors who have lived in Duck Key for over 25 years, half of the time we came back with less than our limit, and 2 out of 5 trips we got skunked. We talked about this a lot, due to the fact that when I lived in Islamorada, I NEVER got skunked! I guess that what I'm trying to say, is that even the entire Florida Keys can get over fished. Granted it's the fishing capitol of the U.S., but that not might be true anymore.

    Let's put our heads together, contact those concerns that want help, and give them a hand there's a lot of people who could use the power of this Forum...let's help them.
  2. AMG

    AMG YF Moderator

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    And on top of what you are saying, we have the windpower industry polluting our coasts...

    Anholt.jpg
  3. YachtForums

    YachtForums Administrator

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  4. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    Just watched a program on the Pacific's floating plastic island which Brian Eiland has reported on here several times. The fact is that vast majority of it comes from China. The U.S. is no slouch, but even they don't come close to China. Anybody think that China will stop dumping? Stopping pollution costs money, and money is our God. Anyone pushing the anti-pollution message is instantly labeled anti-commerce, a liberal or a tree-hugger. Good luck making any meaningful changes. We need an army of Pete Seegers, and they don't exist. We've pretty much sealed the fate of future generations.
  5. NEO56

    NEO56 Member

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    We don't have to hit a home run first up at bat, first thing we could do is nothing. Most of the fish that is caught in the U.S. is shipped over to China for processing, then shipped back to the U.S. for packaging, just so the distributor can make a few extra cents per pound. The brand Sea Pak makes pre breaded shrimp, and other items, they are pond raised in Vietnam and China and packaged here. Any "fresh" fish sold in the cases in your grocery store labeled "previously frozen" is caught elsewhere. Read the packaging before you buy...if it's not caught wild or a product of the U.S. don't buy it! If there's no market for the product, stores will quit ordering it. I would dare say collectively that all of the YF members have over one million people on their email lists. All it would take is 2 minutes to send out an email to your entire mailing list.

    For example, there are certain Olive Garden restaurants that have Swordfish on their menu. When I see it I ask for the Manager, and tell him/her that I will not be eating in their establishment until the Swordfish is taken off the Menu. I then get up and leave with whoever I'm with. It's a simple thing to do but sends a loud message. And while it pains me, I do the same thing with Chilean Sea Bass.

    I'm not asking for a march on Washington, we're all too busy for something like that but we can do the above. I learned a few years ago that Tyson had more Muslims working for them than anything else, therefore they stopped giving their employees paid Thanksgiving off, and instead gave them the first day of Ramadan a paid vacation. I along with everyone else I know, no longer buys Tyson products. It's a small victory, won't put Tyson out of business, but I sleep better at night.

    We can pick our battles as a group, and put our numbers towards doing some good. And NYCAP, I understand that we can't stop pollution all together, but every time I went out fishing in the Keys, I always took a huge plastic contractors bag with me, and when I saw debris floating, I'd stop and pick it up. I bottom fish very rarely, I like pulling lures, so I cover a lot of ground. A lot of coastal pollution on the west coast lately was from the Tsunami that hit Japan a few years back. That's an act of God...not much we can do about that.

    But back to Seafood, write everyone on your mailing list, that when they see Swordfish or Sea Bass on the menu, and it's a chain, take a few minutes to send an email to the Corporate office, telling them that neither you nor your friend network will not eat at their restaurants until you taken those items off their menu. It's simple supply and demand, if the demand goes away, there's no need to supply those products. That's the easiest way to get what you want...hit them in the wallet.
  6. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    I was recycling, and watching my trash long before it became fashionable. At this point in my life I'm cynical, pessimistic and uninterested since the only way pollution will stop is when there's money to be made by stopping it, and that's not likely to happen. I once had a friend try to chastise me for sending a cigarette but into the water. I told him that when he can stop the countries of the world from dumping their trash by the billions of tons and stop the cruise ships from dumping their trash from their floating cities into the water come back and talk to me about my 1" x 1/4" cigarette butt. I'm of the mind that the sooner we destroy our world, the sooner a better steward can take over. I think the cockroaches, rats and horseshoe crabs will do a much better job than we did. I also don't eat fish though.:rolleyes:

    P.S. Don't get the idea that I don't care. I've just given up.
  7. NEO56

    NEO56 Member

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    I understand what seems to be the futility of it all...but I'm one of those "never say die" kind of people. I'm sure it could be some type of character flaw.:)
  8. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    Pete Seeger had that same character flaw. We can now swim and fish in the Hudson River because of it.;)
  9. Kafue

    Kafue Senior Member

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    Money talks.
    Look at what we are buying. Do not buy species that are being over fished, sounds simple enough, yet obviously consumers are supporting the fisherman who are ignoring the issue. If the type of fish is not clear, don't buy it. Don't buy from countries that have no regulations. If there is no label saying precisely the origin of the catch, don't buy it. Buy fresh if that is possible.

    Make a sound! Be heard. Don't blame just the countries that are doing the damage, blame the countries that are standing by doing nothing about it. Free Trade Agreements can be used to link one industry/product/policy to another.

    30 years ago we were told that most the whale species would be extinct by the year 2000, yet "we" did not let that happen, in spite of some countries insisting that they could continue raping the oceans for these creatures.

    Politics should be made to work for the common good and if that sounds trite, or naïve, well look at the enormous changes for the better that have taken place when people think with one goal.

    Small steps for sure, but that is how Nader changed the motor industry. Better to do something than sit by and let this keep happening.
  10. NEO56

    NEO56 Member

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    I agree Kafue, but you can throw tons of money at a problem, and most of it goes to lining the politicians pockets....case in point look at Haiti...I laughed when all of these people showed up on TV begging to send money to Haiti to help those poor people. The politicians got rich and what is it now...12 years later, those people still have no electricity, no shelter, and not enough food, or medicine to stay healthy. So much for your donations. We need to take action...as a people, get physically involved, use your email lists...it's called networking. Spend 5 minutes a day reaching out to our new Congressmen/women and Senators. I'll do some research next week and put together a contact list of people who Chair the groups that have a voice in Washington, along with some other influential friends I have in Florida. A handful of emails won't tax any member too hard. And we all can come up with a letter on here that people can cut and paste into the emails. We'll tackle one battle at a time.
  11. Kafue

    Kafue Senior Member

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    I didn't say anything about sending money, or donating money to anyone. I was talking about not spending money on the wrong product.
    I've lived half my life in 3rd world countries. I have never and would never donate money to organisations where 90% goes into admin, commissions and corruption. Only to the person/s or families direct.
  12. NEO56

    NEO56 Member

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    Sorry Kafue...my reading comprehension skills are a tad fried, for the last four days, I've been proofing legal documents for our latest acquisition. I understand what you're saying...let's hit them in the wallet...it's funny how that gets attention faster than anything.

    And I don't mean to stray from this Thread because this is really important to me...but this is something that is so typical,
    and kind of ties into China and Vietnam ramming crap down our throats, and us taking it for granted that it is what it is....

    http://www.click2houston.com/news/is-discount-tide-as-effective-as-regular-tide/31390026
  13. NEO56

    NEO56 Member

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  14. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    I was looking to see if I could find a recent presentation I saw on TV,....I believe it was a NOVA program that began showing the size of fishing catches over the years at the same 'photo dock' spot, and how the sixe of the catch has gotten so much smaller over the years. Haven't found it yet.

    But in the meantime I did find these sites during my google search:
    http://act.oceana.org/letter/l-ftw/...UmSlNWVzrclzn5RuGbkrlQz5zabFuQivlzhoCJ9bw_wcB

    http://act.oceana.org/letter/l-ftw/...4rYIcvY2RQdrDLdyZCvIkKOwy8iVlBo2KzxoCfBPw_wcB

    ....this might be that program:
    http://www.pbs.org/emptyoceans/eoen/tuna/
    http://pbsamerica.co.uk/empty-oceans-empty-nets

    I visited the 'fisheries museum' in Lunenburg Nova Scotia, and it was an eye opener to see photo of the size of the catches, and the size of the fish that use to be !!! ....now almost all gone.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collapse_of_the_Atlantic_northwest_cod_fishery

    Seafood gone by 2050?
    http://www.novaspivack.com/science/all-seafood-gone-by-2050-overfishing-and-overpopulation

    https://novaworkboard.wordpress.com/2014/10/02/tragedy-of-overfishing/

    http://saveourseas.com/threats/overfishing


    ...and a number of more sites.
    This is a HUGE problem, and equally so it would take a massive, coordinated effort to resolve it. Sorry, I don't see it happening,...until we are down to an TRULY ALARMING state. (when there is almost no fish on the grocery shelf)

    (it really is alarming right now, but we have other distractions we are tending to)
  15. NEO56

    NEO56 Member

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    Thanks Brian,
    I was hoping you'd weigh in on this Thread.
  16. Opcn

    Opcn Senior Member

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    It's not actually an island. It's an area of high density trash, but no one ever runs into it because it's all pretty widely spaced. The Hudson River probably has more trash in it per square mile than the Great Pacific Gyre. Doesn't mean we shouldn't work to fix it, just that "floating island" isn't the best descriptor.
  17. PacBlue

    PacBlue Senior Member

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    Maybe they should consider a return fee on all cigarette butts - something like 5 cents a piece, those things thrown about the land/seascape will take years to disintegrate!
  18. JWY

    JWY Senior Member

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    I gave a presentation last month and have a few pictures that are relevant for posting here. But I'm too technologically challenged to convert them to YF image requirements and I would hate for the Mods to give me a public flogging. Can someone please PM with an email so I can email 4 photos to you for conversion?

    Judy
  19. NEO56

    NEO56 Member

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    I'd send it to one of the Moderators, but if you do get a public flogging, I'd like an invite...Ralph likes to watch too. I've never attended a public flogging,would it take place on the Pier 66 docks?:D
  20. JWY

    JWY Senior Member

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    Carl gets so many private YF emails daily to which he needs to respond that I would fill guilty increasing his work load. Maybe I'll give it another try tomorrow.
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