Turn the Tide for Ocean Conservation

Turn the Tide for Ocean Conservation

Posted Mon, Jan 7, 2008 by nikki

The New Year is a week underway, so what kind of resolutions did you make this year? At Oceana our goal is simple: Keep on keepin' on. Seek to protect more habitat and wildlife, work to enlighten the masses. Save sharks. Save sea turtles. Save corals. Save ... the oceans.

Okay, so we've got our work cut out for us for sure, but if Oceana campaigners post the kind of numbers like they did in 2007, I suspect 2008 will become another dynamite year for ocean conservation. In case you're just joining the fight, let me tell you what Oceana's been up to in the past year:

*Oceana Wavemakers convince Amazon.com to stop selling shark fin soup in January 2007.


*North Pacific Fishery Management Council adopts the "Oceana Approach" to protect some 180,000 square miles of ocean floor in June 2006.


*Mercury campaigners help convince the fifth of nine chlorine producing plants in the U.S. to stop using mercury-polluting technology in August 2007.

These are just a few of the victories that come to me off the top of my head. Even still, Oceana has been breaking ground over at the World Trade Organization in regards to fishing subsidies, and we've also made strides in overfishing and bycatch policies.

With the new year comes new opportunities to turn the tide for ocean conservation. If you'd like to stay informed or get involved, now's as good a time as any. Resolve to make a difference in '08.