Oceana magazine

2. These zones, called Exclusive Economic Zones (or EEZs, for
short), extend out to 200 nautical miles. They are recognized
under international law as zones in which the coastal country,
typically without any international consultation, sets and
enforces rules on ocean fishing and other ocean resource
extraction, such as oil drilling or undersea mining.

5. Oceana’s shark-championing mascot, Dusky,
visited the U.S. Capitol the day before the
House voted in support of the Shark Fin Sales
Elimination Act. The bill was cosponsored by
287 representatives.

6. Humboldt penguins are a vulnerable species,
according to the IUCN Red List. Their numbers in
Chile have dwindled since the 19th century due to
habitat changes and commercial activities

7. Oceana previously won victories in Peru, which banned the landing of shark fins
in 2016, and in Canada, which became the first G20 country to ban the shark fin
trade last summer.

9. Madeira rockfish are a common sight
along the coast of North Africa and
parts of the Mediterranean. However,
researchers say the species has been
shifting further north, towards Spain
and Portugal, likely as a result of
warming waters.

15. Combined, excess
heat and increased
acidity can
precipitate the
collapse of entire
ecosystems,
including the mass
bleaching of coral
reefs. If the planet
heats up by 2°C,
nearly all of the
world’s coral reefs
will die.

20. • Mangroves are strong, but they aren’t invincible. It’s estimated that up to half of the world’s “blue carbon
ecosystems” – a category that includes mangrove forests, salt marshes, and sea grass beds – have been
degraded or converted into other applications, like carbon intensive shrimp farms or rice fields.
• In the Philippines’ Manila Bay, the 1. Oceana protects carbon sequestering habitats like mangroves and kelp
forests. devastation has been far greater; nearly 99% of the mangroves in this area have been decimated
since the beginning of the 20th century.
• Mangroves store carbon that may have built up over hundreds or even thousands of years, and yet, when
they’re destroyed, it takes mere decades for greenhouse gases to seep back out into the environment.
• To protect what’s left of the Manila Bay mangroves, Oceana is campaigning to prevent a development
project that would mow down hundreds of mangroves and convert part of the bay into land.
• San Miguel Corporation – the largest company in the Philippines by revenue – wants to build an airport in
Bulacan province, just outside of Manila.
• This development, called the New Manila International Airport, would displace hundreds of coastal families
and cause irreparable damage to habitats, fisheries, and the livelihoods of local artisanal fishers.

21. “Overfished species
are particularly
vulnerable to climate
change,”
Pinsky explained.
“Reducing
overfishing and giving
species a chance to
recover may be our
best chance of
ensuring that
fisheries are still
viable in the future.”

30. • If you charter a boat from San Diego and sail 120 kilometers (75 miles)
west, you’ll find yourself floating above a place called Butterfly Bank.
• Named for the insect its seamounts resemble when viewed from an
aerial map, the bank’s slopes and sheer rock cliffs are fluttering with
life deep below the surface.
• A variety of corals, sponges, and sea pens make their home here, in the
cold, dark recesses of the Pacific. Orange and yellow gorgonians sway
gently in the current.
• Bubblegum corals stick out of the seafloor like sore thumbs. Squat
lobsters perch atop white laced sponges, and spiny red stars sprawl
out lazily on rocks.

31. • Oceana’s “freeze the footprint”
approach to halting destructive
fishing in its tracks. It allows fishers to
continue working in most waters
where trawling has previously
occurred – the area known as the
“footprint.”
• The Oceana Approach protects key
areas within the footprint that contain
fragile habitats, such as seamounts,
canyon heads, and coral gardens,
while also banning trawling in all
areas outside the footprint.

41. Of all the questions this column has attempted to answer, the most difficult is “What is
eco-system based fisheries management?”
One reason for this is that ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) means
different things to different people. Also, there is a debate – largely useless – between
people who advocate for EBFM and even more ambitious folks who aim more broadly
for ecosystem-based management (EBM).

42. Consider these “Principles of EBM” as commonly defined in the conservation
community:
1. Maintain the structure and function of ecosystems;
2. Include human values (and use) of these ecosystems;
3. Be cognizant that these systems are dynamic and change a lot;
4. Must be based on a shared vision of all stakeholders;
5. Be centered around science that is supplemented by constant learning.
In other words, EBM as defined here means talking to everyone, considering
everything, making no choices, and doing nothing. The term has devolved
toward vacuity. This is similar to “sustainability,” which could be taken to mean
things being done in such a way that they could remain more or less the way
they are forever (or at least for a long time). Sustainability then devolved to
“sustainable growth,” which is an oxymoron because something that grows (e.g.
an economy, or fisheries catches) cannot continue to do so forever, or even for a
long time.

49. Thank
you……