Oceana
“It’s time to adopt precautionary and proactive approaches to protect the ocean food web,” said Ben Enticknap, Pacific project manager for Oceana and lead author of the report. “The science is increasingly clear that harvest strategies must and can be changed to ensure enough forage for salmon, whales and seabirds.”
Among the key findings of the Oceana report:
- At multiple levels of state, federal and international governance, there are major gaps in the management of the overall forage fish base that provides the food supply in this large marine ecosystem.
- When making decisions to set fishery catch levels, managers do not consider how many forage fish need to be left in the ocean to support other valuable fish and wildlife.
- There are ample reasons for concern about the future of forage fish, including overly aggressive harvest rates, increasing demand from aquaculture and documented population declines.
“These tiny species have a colossal impact,” said Susan Murray, Oceana’s senior director of the Pacific. “The availability of forage can literally mean life or death for many of our iconic Pacific fish, marine mammals and seabirds, as well as our vibrant coastal economies. Luckily, we have the opportunity to avoid such crashes by doing responsible management now.”
Coinciding with this report, this week the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) will respond to two requests made by Oceana to address forage fish management. First, on Friday, the Council will address Oceana’s request to revise the way in which annual sardine catch levels are decided to properly account for the needs of the ecosystem. Sardines are both a major food source for wildlife and an important component of the ocean-based economy of the U.S. West Coast. Coast-wide exploitation has steadily increased while the sardine population has been maintained below sustainable levels for the past decade. The problem lies in the system from which annual catch limits are set, which has scientific flaws, does not account for international coastwide catch including Mexico and Canada, and fails to consider how many sardines that higher ocean predators need to survive and thrive.
On Nov. 6 the PFMC will consider Oceana’s request that the Council prevent new fisheries from developing on currently unmanaged forage species until specific criteria are met. Many other important forage species, including whitebait smelt, Pacific sandlance and lanternfishes, currently have no federal management and new fisheries could develop at any time without consideration of the consequences. If the PFMC adopts this request, the Council would build on prior protections given to krill and take an important step toward an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management.
“We all know forage species have value if we catch and sell them, but there is an unseen economic value from leaving some forage fish in the ocean. More available forage fish in the ocean will increase the value of other fisheries and economic sectors like tourism,” said Dr. Geoff Shester, California program director for Oceana and one of the authors of the report. “Better forage species management will strengthen our west coast economy and provide thousands of jobs for years to come.”
The Oceana report is available here.
What: Pacific Fisheries Management Council meeting
When: Nov. 4, 2011
Where: Hilton Orange County, 3050 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa, Calif. 92626
For more information, click here.
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Oceana is the largest international advocacy group working solely to protect the world’s oceans. Oceana wins policy victories for the oceans using science-based campaigns. Since 2001, we have protected over 1.2 million square miles of ocean and innumerable sea turtles, sharks, dolphins and other sea creatures. More than 500,000 supporters have already joined Oceana. Global in scope, Oceana has offices in North, South and Central America and Europe. To learn more, please visit www.oceana.org.
Here are three new films to watch this Earth Week that will transport you from pole to pole and introduce you to the scientists and activists working to save our shared home.
1. The Year Earth Changed
Where to Watch: Apple TV+
When to Watch: From April 16
The coronavirus pandemic has brought home the stakes of humanity's impact on the environment. But the lockdowns also proved how quickly nature can recover when humans give it the space. Birds sang in empty cities, whales surfaced in Glacier Bay and capybara roamed the South American suburbs.
The Year Earth Changed captures this unique year with footage from more than 30 lockdowned cities between May 2020 to January 2021. Narrated by renowned wildlife broadcaster David Attenborough, the film explores what positive lessons we can take from the experience of a quieter, less trafficked world.
"What the film shows is that the natural world can bounce back remarkably quickly when we take a step back and reduce our impact as we did during lockdown," executive producer Alice Keens-Soper of BBC Studios Natural History Unit told EcoWatch. "If we are willing to make even small changes to our habits, the natural world can flourish. We need to learn how to co-exist with nature and understand that we are not separate from it- for example if we closed some of our beaches at for a few weeks during the turtle breeding we see that it can make a huge difference to their success. There are many ways that we can adapt our behavior to allow the natural world to thrive as it did in lockdown."
2. After Antarctica
Where to Watch: San Francisco International Film Festival
When to Watch: 12 a.m. PST April 9 to 11:59 p.m. April 18
In 1989, Will Steger led an international team of six scientists and explorers to be the first humans to cross Antarctica by dogsled. Steger and his team weren't just in it for the adventure. They also wanted to draw attention to the ways in which the climate crisis was already transforming the icy continent and to rally support for the renewal of the Antarctic Treaty, which would keep the continent safe from extractive industries.
In After Antarctica, award-winning filmmaker Tasha Van Zandt follows Steger 30 years later as he travels the Arctic this time, reflecting on his original journey and once again bringing awareness to changes in a polar landscape. The film intersperses this contemporary journey with footage from the original expedition, some of which has never been seen before.
"Will's life journey as an explorer and climate activist has led him not only to see more of the polar world than anyone else alive today, but to being an eyewitness to the changes occurring across both poles," Van Zandt told EcoWatch. "But now, these changes are happening in all of our own backyards and we have all become eyewitnesses. Through my journey with Will, I have learned that although we cannot always control change, we can change our response. I feel strongly that this is a message that resonates when we look at the current state of the world, as we each have power and control over how we choose to respond to hardships, and we all have the power to unite with others through collective action around a common goal."
After Antarctica is available to stream once you purchase a ticket to the San Francisco International Film Festival. If you miss it this weekend, it will screen again at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival from May 13 to May 23.
Tasha Van Zandt
3. The Race to Save the World
Where to Watch: Virtual Cinema
When to Watch: From Earth Day, April 22
While many films about the climate crisis seek to raise awareness about the extent of the problem, The Race to Save the World focuses on the people who are trying to stop it. The film tells the story of climate activists ranging from 15-year-old Aji to 72-year-old Miriam who are working to create a sustainable future. It follows them from the streets to the courtroom to their homes, and explores the impact of their advocacy on their personal lives and relationships.
Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker Joe Gantz told EcoWatch that he wanted to make a film about climate change, but did not want to depress viewers with overwhelming statistics. Instead, he chose to inspire them by sharing the stories of people trying to make a difference.
"Unless millions of people take to the streets and make their voices heard for a livable future, the politicians are not going to get on board to help make the changes needed for a sustainable future," Gantz told Ecowatch. "I think that The Race To Save The World will energize and inspire people to take action so that future generations, as well as the plants, animals and ecosystems, can survive and thrive on this planet."
Check back with EcoWatch on the morning of Earth Day for a special preview of this inspiring film!
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