Read, and see if you can help. I will let them know I agree.
Calm Seas,
Catherine French
Writer, mentor, naturalist
805.570.0432
We are given only so many days, make each one count.
Sent from my iPad Air
Begin forwarded message:
From: Ocean Conservancy <ourocean@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: March 4, 2020 at 7:01:18 AM PST
To: cfrench1366@xxxxxxx
Subject: Slow and steady keeps the Arctic safe
Reply-To: Ocean Conservancy <ourocean@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
TAKE ACTION
Catherine,
In the icy North lies a narrow ocean pass sandwiched between Russia and
Alaska called the Bering Strait. At the narrowest point, it’s just 55 miles
wide—and it’s the only marine gateway between the Pacific and the Arctic
ocean.
Alaska Native residents who have lived in the region for millennia rely on
the Bering Strait ecosystem as a key source of food and a critical component
of culture. In addition to supporting people in the region, the Bering Strait
is home to some of the most spectacular marine wildlife on Earth. In the
springtime, it’s a busy expressway for millions of birds and hundreds of
thousands of marine mammals as they migrate north. It’s also an important
habitat for iconic animals like bowhead, beluga and gray whales, seals,
walruses and polar bears.
But local people and wildlife are no longer the only ones using the Bering
Strait highway. As seasonal sea ice melts due to a rapidly warming climate,
passage through the Bering Strait is becoming easier for commercial vessels,
and interest in shipping through the Strait is increasing. As more vessels
travel through the Bering Strait, the risk of disrupting wildlife and local
people increases—and so does the threat of pollution, including a major oil
spill.
We need to protect the Bering Strait from the impacts of increasing vessel
traffic—before it’s too late.
More cars on the road means a higher chance of accidents, noise and
pollution. The same goes for our ocean: the more vessels that travel through
the narrow Bering Strait, the greater the risk of water, air and noise
pollution—and wildlife strikes or catastrophic accidents and oil spills. And
navigating the remote Bering Strait isn’t like driving down a nicely paved
highway. With its seasonal sea ice, strong currents, adverse weather
conditions and inadequate nautical charts, transiting the Bering Strait can
sometimes be more like driving through a treacherous mountain pass during a
snowstorm.
We all know that simple measures like emissions controls and speed limits
make driving on our roads cleaner and safer. Now, we need to apply the same
ideas to our ocean. Tell the Coast Guard to make ship traffic in the Bering
Strait cleaner and safer.
Increasing ship traffic in the Bering Strait has massive consequences for the
whales, walruses and seabirds who rely on a healthy ecosystem. But they’re
not the only ones who call the region home: increased shipping also affects
Alaska Native peoples who depend on food from a clean and healthy ocean.
We can’t wait any longer to act. Vessel traffic is only going to increase in
the Arctic, increasing the risk of pollution and accidents. We know what it
takes to enhance vessel safety and preserve ecosystem health—we just need to
put those management measures in place. Speak up today to protect the Bering
Strait.
TAKE ACTION
For our ocean,
Andrew Hartsig
Director, Arctic Program
Ocean Conservancy
1300 19th Street NW • 8th Floor • Washington, DC 20036 • 800-519-1541
Ocean Conservancy is a 501(c)3 — Donations are 100% tax-deductible as allowed
by law.
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