A Pleasant Summer Evening
p. 10
news & articles
It is the middle of summer and you are sat at a little taverna at the edge of the sea. The sun is about to set and there is a very gentle and warm breeze blowing off the sea. A small fishing boat moves toward the nearby harbour and splinters the brilliant, reflected colours of the sky. As it moves and the sun sinks further the colours change. The first meze dish arrives and your first glass of wine is going down well. You are at peace with the world. There are no political or economic crises in your mind. Religious conflict, suffering, famine and poverty are not even considered. As you lift your glass and look toward the place where the sun was a few moments ago all seems good and you are one with Nature and the sea. Nature and the ck on ws cli post.gr e n sea also seem at peace. e r e for mo ttp://cret h Four years ago my daughter completed a thesis on the ecology of the Mediterranean bottle-nosed dolphin. In order to understand the ecology she had to discover much about the environment that the dolphin inhabits. This species of dolphin is on the IUCN Red List of endangered species and is considered ‘vulnerable’. The known population history was also uncovered to determine whether the present status is a new phenomenon. What she learned shocked her – not just the problems of living but also threats from Man’s behaviour and life style. In a short article it is not possible to detail the problems but a few of the difficulties are considered below. Although using dolphins as an example their plight is reflected over other species of dolphin in the Mediterranean as well as whales, turtles, sharks etc. And the problems affecting the Mediterranean are repeated over the planet. The Mediterranean Sea is in a difficult geographical position. It is nearly a large enclosed sea and is bordered by countries on three continents. Many, if not most, of these countries are presently affected by either political or economic issues and policing any regulations is difficult. And that is if you can get agreement from all the
by David Capon
countries involved. (This is not a situation specific to the Mediterranean – for example similar political differences can also be seen in the waters around the Antarctic). Historically, dolphins were persecuted and the persecution persisted in some areas till fairly recent times. In some areas there was a bounty paid for each dolphin killed. This persecution has stopped but illegal fishing methods mean that dolphins are still being caught and drowned (indirectly) or killed (directly). One of the biggest problems now confronting dolphins is the lack of food. The levels of fish populations in the Med have dropped due to over-fishing. I think we are all aware of dwindling fish stocks in all the Earth’s seas and oceans and so I will not explain further. But the problem is far worse than previously understood. One of the world’s leading marine biologists, Daniel Pauly of the University of British Columbia and a contributor to my daughter’s course, published new findings in late January. These findings show that fisheries have greatly underestimated catches possibly by about 32 million tones per year. He stated very aptly “The world is withdrawing from a joint bank account of
the atmosphere is making rain more acidic. A residue of the manmade chemicals that are used on the ground as fertilizers or herbicides / pesticides ends up in the sea. Medicines that humans use (for example, antibiotics and even oestrogen supplements) are also found in the Sea, even after being through the human body. These manmade chemicals are seriously affecting all marine life. We, also have a problem with the waste that is illegally dumped. Often on Crete, as most of you will know, this is in a dry riverbed; but, of course, when we have torrential rain there is only place that this waste can end up. None of these examples are beneficial to marine life. A less obvious problem is disturbance and, especially, noise and the full effects of marine noise are being studied and more understood. Noise generated by Man has increased enormously over the last few decades. The most obvious comes from shipping. In Northwest Crete there is noise from tourist boats, the regular ferries as well as the military shipping and especially when they are on manoeuvres. (For anyone interested please see the following chart, which identifies the link between naval / military exercises and whale strandings:
(like their land cousins) shy away from humans – and for good reason. We are causing huge problems for these animals. But does the problem of noise stop with the larger animals? It is now known that in many fish species the fry communicate by clicks. These clicks are quiet and can be lost in general noise. In January, researchers from Southampton University issued a report in the journal “Scientific Reports” indicating that manmade sounds from shipping and wind turbines causes a behavioural response from seabed creatures. These creatures are vital in the ecosystem of the seabed and their behavioural changes are such that the seabed is not functioning as it should be. Is it all bad news? Not exactly. There are many MPAs (Marine Protection Areas) in the Mediterranean. These provide refuge, if policed and administered properly and marine life is given an advantage. Recovery within the areas depends upon minimal pollution and 100% protection; as mentioned above policing of many of these areas is difficult because of political and economic issues. The other problem is that marine animals do not understand that they are safe (perhaps, nor accurately, safer) within the MPAs.
fish without knowing what has been withdrawn or the remaining balance”. This is a very dangerous position. Another report issued this year has indicated that soon there will be more plastic than fish in the seas and oceans. At first glance this is worrying enough but some serious problems caused by plastic are not obvious from this. In the seas and oceans there are now minute particles of plastic. These are being inhaled through the gills of even the smallest of marine creatures. Very little of that is exhaled. This affects not only the small creatures but the plastic is then ingested by predators and their predators. Another example of the problems of plastic is that a bag floating on the surface can look like a jellyfish from below. Jellyfish are in the diet of turtles and I am sure I do not need to detail the consequences. Plastic is causing problems in the digestion systems of most species of sea birds and the figures do not make good reading. The Mediterranean is polluted. The increased amount of carbon dioxide in
Newer sources of noise are marine wind farms, oilrigs and the associated drilling and surveying. Most people realise that marine mammals, such as dolphins and whales, communicate and members of a group are ‘talking’ continually (general chatter, information about prey or dangers). A lot of anthropogenic marine noise is created at frequencies very close to those used by the animals and a lot louder. Apart from the noise these mammals
The Sun that warmed the day has sunk well below the horizon and your main course has just arrived. When you saw the menu you felt the price of the fish you ordered was quite high. But the meal would add to the ambience of the evening. Your mind is peaceful and the senses enjoy all that the evening offers. The question is “will our children and, especially, their children be able to experience similar evenings?”