It’s World Oceans Day and No One Knows It: Oceana Urges President Bush to Acknowledge World Oceans Day and Save Our Oceans
Press Release Date: October 6, 2009
Location: Washington
Contact:
Anna Baxter | email: abaxter@oceana.org
Anna Baxter
Many people don’t realize that Sunday, June 8, is World Oceans Day – especially those in the White House and at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Oceana is marking World Oceans Day, created in 1992 at the U.N. Earth Summit, by urging President Bush to take immediate action to save our oceans from destructive fishing practices and pollution.
“Today is World Oceans Day – we’re not making this up – but you’d be hard-pressed to find any Bush Administration officials taking notice of it,” said Jackie Savitz. “Recent news about disappearing fisheries and sewage dumping from cruise ships should alert the President that something needs to be done to save the oceans.”
The top ten reasons our oceans need President Bush’ help are:
10. Oceans cover almost three-quarters of the earth.
9. Size isn’t everything. Oceans are still vulnerable.
8. More than 50 percent of potential voters live on or near the coasts. Bush needs their votes.
7. Toxics and runoff wastes are killing ocean wildlife.
6. We like to eat fish because it makes us healthy, but when they’re filled with mercury they make us sick.
5. Americans like to do things efficiently and – let’s face it – the easiest way possible. So dragging giant nets attached to 18-wheeler-sized wheels that clear-cut the ocean floor means we’re running out of fish and they’re not coming back any time soon.
4. Nothing beats a vacation on a floating hotel. But cruise lines legally dump raw sewage in the ocean and that can really spoil your snorkeling.
3. Without the oceans, what would surfers do?
2. What would we look at when we went scuba-diving?
1. The number one reason for President Bush to save our oceans? We can’t live without them.
Oceana is a non-profit international advocacy organization dedicated to restoring and protecting the world’s oceans through policy advocacy, science, law and public education. Oceana focuses it’s work around three campaigns: Stop DirtyFishing Campaign, Stop Bottom Trawling Campaign and the Stop Cruise Ship Pollution Campaign. Founded in 2001, Oceana’s constituency includes members and activists from more than 150 countries and territories who are committed to saving the world’s marine environment. Oceana, headquartered in Washington, D.C., has additional offices in key U.S. coastal areas, a South American office in Santiago, Chile, and will open a European office in fall of 2003. For more information on Oceana and to contact President Bush, please visit www.Oceana.org.
