I once attended a talk by Ray Bradbury. He was adamant we had to colonize Mars b/c Earth was doomed. I kept thinking, no, Mars is uninhabitable. We have to clean up Earth. Stories like these about the efforts of humans committed to saving nature, are inspiring
These folks would need their own program on The Teaching Channel - if only The Teaching Channel was for teaching! But seriously, this is grueling work, and everyone involved deserves gratitude. As irresistible as he may be, I don’t know if this smiling yet determined suntanned man does the difficulty justice.
It isn’t an easy thing to remove huge nets and fishing gear - which is designed to get caught on whatever it encounters. You certainly attempted to convey this, Madam Royal. I am sure the whole column could have been about injuries sustained in the course of this work.
I can imagine fishing hooks frequently catch on people, netting gets twisted around arms and legs, and God knows what else occurs to people using very little specialized safety gear themselves.
So congratulations to the people of PMDP - because I cannot remember how to spell their actual name!
Thank you for sharing this post. It makes me incredibly sad when I read about all the trash and debris that ends up in the oceans and it is outrageous how there aren’t more regulations around it from governments worldwide. A deep felt thanks to everyone who tries to help and cleans up as much as they can.
What a wonderful story! I'm so happy to know that the northwest islands are receiving this loving care. I recently watched an address by 'Aulani Wilhelm, the ocean conservationist who took the lead in designing the Papahanaumokuakea Marine Sanctuary and was its first director. She opened with a chant—the traditional Hawaiian protocol—then a few words about how the northwest islands, to the Hawaiians, are their place of origin as well as the place they will return, the place of the ancestors. It's a very moving few minutes, for anyone interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkxk9hgidbE&ab_channel=IMPAC5Canada
Economic incentives are key for the long run of getting discarded fishing nets out of the ocean. This is in all of our interests. Removing dumping fees will not help because there are plenty of places to dump gear. Implementing a net deposit fee that is remitted on return of the net would generate funds for handling discarded and ghost-fishing nets, perhaps at municipal trash management facilities. Like the bottle bill, beachcombers could be given the deposit fee for collecting nets.
Gyres collect trash. The source is humans. Change the mindset that starts in their home. Waste packaging, plastics to carry plastics to be thrown away. Where do you dispose it goes?
It’s a catch-22. Synthetic nets or recycled organic fibers that were burned, but now can be used to catch fish and if lost feed protozoans that feed fish. A much better solution.
Yes. Unfortunately, not every country has the type of waste pickup and recycling programs we have in developed countries. Their rivers are conveyor belts of trash to oceans. We could focus our assistance dollars in these areas.
Assistance is human behavior. There’s a price for progress. Consumer packaging overload. Big boxes for small objects. Then we ship used electronics and defunct cars to countries to salvage parts, pollute the air with our toxins. Left overs return to sea. Metals sold to China and Japan to recycle.
Recycling begins in home. Food waste composted by earthworms. Make new soil. Grow food. Less is more. Just a start.
Yes. I actually lived in China for a short while. At that point, everyone brought their own bowl and chopsticks to the cafeteria. A simple solution. I once had a corporate job where the system was similar; all the cafeteria "to-go" containers were reusable. We could stick them in a bin on our floor and they'd get taken back to the cafeteria and washed. But this fishing gear thing is an entirely different problem. Money speaks.
Fishing for solutions. Watch Earth shot awards show. One urn of interest was using pineapple leaves and creating fibers for clothing and biodegradable. A possible source for fish nets that biodegrade. If tossed in ocean no harm done. No plastic waste.
But how much damage will be done in the process of biodegrading? How many years will these nets be able to destroy reefs and kill wildlife? If tossed in the ocean then there is still much harm done.
Mahalo Amanda! I so appreciate the reminder of human’s kuleana—that we have the privilege today of working with nature to restore a balance. As we do so, our hearts can also begin to be restored as well.
I once attended a talk by Ray Bradbury. He was adamant we had to colonize Mars b/c Earth was doomed. I kept thinking, no, Mars is uninhabitable. We have to clean up Earth. Stories like these about the efforts of humans committed to saving nature, are inspiring
Agreed! Earth is our home 👍
These folks would need their own program on The Teaching Channel - if only The Teaching Channel was for teaching! But seriously, this is grueling work, and everyone involved deserves gratitude. As irresistible as he may be, I don’t know if this smiling yet determined suntanned man does the difficulty justice.
It isn’t an easy thing to remove huge nets and fishing gear - which is designed to get caught on whatever it encounters. You certainly attempted to convey this, Madam Royal. I am sure the whole column could have been about injuries sustained in the course of this work.
I can imagine fishing hooks frequently catch on people, netting gets twisted around arms and legs, and God knows what else occurs to people using very little specialized safety gear themselves.
So congratulations to the people of PMDP - because I cannot remember how to spell their actual name!
I agree he looks pretty stoked.
Thank you for sharing this post. It makes me incredibly sad when I read about all the trash and debris that ends up in the oceans and it is outrageous how there aren’t more regulations around it from governments worldwide. A deep felt thanks to everyone who tries to help and cleans up as much as they can.
This is awesome, Amanda. Also I love what you wrote about including humans in the narrative!
What a wonderful story! I'm so happy to know that the northwest islands are receiving this loving care. I recently watched an address by 'Aulani Wilhelm, the ocean conservationist who took the lead in designing the Papahanaumokuakea Marine Sanctuary and was its first director. She opened with a chant—the traditional Hawaiian protocol—then a few words about how the northwest islands, to the Hawaiians, are their place of origin as well as the place they will return, the place of the ancestors. It's a very moving few minutes, for anyone interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkxk9hgidbE&ab_channel=IMPAC5Canada
Economic incentives are key for the long run of getting discarded fishing nets out of the ocean. This is in all of our interests. Removing dumping fees will not help because there are plenty of places to dump gear. Implementing a net deposit fee that is remitted on return of the net would generate funds for handling discarded and ghost-fishing nets, perhaps at municipal trash management facilities. Like the bottle bill, beachcombers could be given the deposit fee for collecting nets.
Yes on deposits. Do you know anyone working on this idea?
This is incredible
Thank you, Jordan!
Many thanks for sharing. It seems like we have to find incentives to stop fishing nets being discarded in this way.
Yep, that's the solution, I believe.
Gyres collect trash. The source is humans. Change the mindset that starts in their home. Waste packaging, plastics to carry plastics to be thrown away. Where do you dispose it goes?
It’s a catch-22. Synthetic nets or recycled organic fibers that were burned, but now can be used to catch fish and if lost feed protozoans that feed fish. A much better solution.
Yes. Unfortunately, not every country has the type of waste pickup and recycling programs we have in developed countries. Their rivers are conveyor belts of trash to oceans. We could focus our assistance dollars in these areas.
Assistance is human behavior. There’s a price for progress. Consumer packaging overload. Big boxes for small objects. Then we ship used electronics and defunct cars to countries to salvage parts, pollute the air with our toxins. Left overs return to sea. Metals sold to China and Japan to recycle.
Recycling begins in home. Food waste composted by earthworms. Make new soil. Grow food. Less is more. Just a start.
Yes. I actually lived in China for a short while. At that point, everyone brought their own bowl and chopsticks to the cafeteria. A simple solution. I once had a corporate job where the system was similar; all the cafeteria "to-go" containers were reusable. We could stick them in a bin on our floor and they'd get taken back to the cafeteria and washed. But this fishing gear thing is an entirely different problem. Money speaks.
Fishing for solutions. Watch Earth shot awards show. One urn of interest was using pineapple leaves and creating fibers for clothing and biodegradable. A possible source for fish nets that biodegrade. If tossed in ocean no harm done. No plastic waste.
But how much damage will be done in the process of biodegrading? How many years will these nets be able to destroy reefs and kill wildlife? If tossed in the ocean then there is still much harm done.
Yes!
Mahalo Amanda! I so appreciate the reminder of human’s kuleana—that we have the privilege today of working with nature to restore a balance. As we do so, our hearts can also begin to be restored as well.
I so agree. Thanks for being here, Kat.
Corporate biosphere rape. We the People must STOP facilitating it!