Safina: Song for the Blue Ocean

"The thing is, I believe large parts of our oceans are depleted mainly because we treat marine creatures as commodities, forgetting that they are wild animals breeding in natural habitats. In reality, marine creatures are the only wild animals still hunted on a large scale. The language used in fisheries amounts to a forced attempt to induce amnesia on this point. Fisheries people talk incessantly of 'harvesting' fishes, and even of 'harvesting' whales--trying to impart a sanitized and agricultural tone, as though hunting the largest creature ever to live on earth by firing bombs into their bodies is analogous to picking watermelons that have been planted and cultivated. Fish populations are referred to as 'stock,' like shoes in a warehouse. And when sea turtles that have drowned in nets wash up on beaches, they are referred to as--of all things--'stranded.' The language is intended to confuse and mislead, and it is selected carefully. I have, for example, been in meetings with fishery managers who did not understand that all the 'stranded' turtles the fishermen were dismissing as 'not a problem' were, in fact, dead. They are no more 'stranded' than a person killed in a plane crash is 'grounded.' "

"The thing is, I believe large parts of our oceans are depleted mainly because we treat marine creatures as commodities, forgetting that they are wild animals breeding in natural habitats. In reality, marine creatures are the only wild animals still hunted on a large scale. The language used in fisheries amounts to a forced attempt to induce amnesia on this point. Fisheries people talk incessantly of 'harvesting' fishes, and even of 'harvesting' whales--trying to impart a sanitized and agricultural tone, as though hunting the largest creature ever to live on earth by firing bombs into their bodies is analogous to picking watermelons that have been planted and cultivated. Fish populations are referred to as 'stock,' like shoes in a warehouse. And when sea turtles that have drowned in nets wash up on beaches, they are referred to as--of all things--'stranded.' The language is intended to confuse and mislead, and it is selected carefully. I have, for example, been in meetings with fishery managers who did not understand that all the 'stranded' turtles the fishermen were dismissing as 'not a problem' were, in fact, dead. They are no more 'stranded' than a person killed in a plane crash is 'grounded.' "

[[Category: Book Notes]]

[[Category: Book Notes]]