Post by LSDeep on Apr 12, 2006 9:10:25 GMT -5
Scholars from all over the world have attended the 20th conference on marine mammal conservation in Gdynia on the Polish Baltic sea coast, pondering whether the coexistence of man and these creatures is possible.
Krysia Kolosowska reports
11.04.06
Almost 500 specialists arrived in Gdynia to examine the main threats to the dwindling population of marine mammals and ways of eliminating these threats. One of the main man-made risks for these creatures is noise, which pollutes the oceans. Here noise moves five times faster and much farther than on land. It is generated by tens of thousands of ships, fishing and pleasure boats as well as other sources, and is enough to mask the normal noise of the sea creatures.
The latter are disoriented as they use sound to hunt, find mates and food, Michel Andre, from the Marine Mammal Conservation Research Unit in Europe says.
“There is not just one threat. It is a combination of many. Noise pollution is a recent one. Man’s activities on and in the sea produces a lot of noise, which affects marine mammals.”
In the Baltic Sea, marine mammals are under serious threat though the threats have changed over the years, often depending on man’s attitude to these creatures, says dr Krzysztof Skora, head of the Marine Research Station on the Hel Peninsula.
“There was a time when marine mammals were mass culled. The state paid for each seal and each porpoise that was shot dead. The idea was to protect the Baltic Sea fish. But it really made no sense, as most often they did not compete for the same fish as man.”
The final result was that when the Marine Research Station began the re-introduction of the seal in the late 1980s, there were only 4,500 of them in the Baltic Sea. Today their number has exceeded 17,000. But it still is a far cry from 100,000 when the shooting of the seals began.
The state of the porpoise, often called the Baltic Sea dolphin, is even more dramatic. Marine mammals are threatened by modern fishing nets in which they get tangled and die from lack of air. There is also chemical pollution and noise. It is crucial to make man aware of this and encourage him to take action, says Michel Andre.
“Many actions can be undertaken. But first of all we need to know more about these animals and their importance for the habitat. Then people will take action – for example –to reduce noise produced by human activities.”
But how to make people care? Krzysztof Skora says that healthy marine mammals are the best indication of the state of the natural environment. If there are many of them in the coastal waters, this is the best sign that it is also a good environment for people to stay and enjoy their free time. The more holiday-makers come to a given place, the better it is for the local community. The enthusiasm with which people react to the sight of seals or porpoises is the best proof of that.
What do you think of this article? Drop us an email at
english.section@radio.com.pl
www.polskieradio.pl/polonia/article.asp?tId=35299&j=2
Krysia Kolosowska reports
11.04.06
Almost 500 specialists arrived in Gdynia to examine the main threats to the dwindling population of marine mammals and ways of eliminating these threats. One of the main man-made risks for these creatures is noise, which pollutes the oceans. Here noise moves five times faster and much farther than on land. It is generated by tens of thousands of ships, fishing and pleasure boats as well as other sources, and is enough to mask the normal noise of the sea creatures.
The latter are disoriented as they use sound to hunt, find mates and food, Michel Andre, from the Marine Mammal Conservation Research Unit in Europe says.
“There is not just one threat. It is a combination of many. Noise pollution is a recent one. Man’s activities on and in the sea produces a lot of noise, which affects marine mammals.”
In the Baltic Sea, marine mammals are under serious threat though the threats have changed over the years, often depending on man’s attitude to these creatures, says dr Krzysztof Skora, head of the Marine Research Station on the Hel Peninsula.
“There was a time when marine mammals were mass culled. The state paid for each seal and each porpoise that was shot dead. The idea was to protect the Baltic Sea fish. But it really made no sense, as most often they did not compete for the same fish as man.”
The final result was that when the Marine Research Station began the re-introduction of the seal in the late 1980s, there were only 4,500 of them in the Baltic Sea. Today their number has exceeded 17,000. But it still is a far cry from 100,000 when the shooting of the seals began.
The state of the porpoise, often called the Baltic Sea dolphin, is even more dramatic. Marine mammals are threatened by modern fishing nets in which they get tangled and die from lack of air. There is also chemical pollution and noise. It is crucial to make man aware of this and encourage him to take action, says Michel Andre.
“Many actions can be undertaken. But first of all we need to know more about these animals and their importance for the habitat. Then people will take action – for example –to reduce noise produced by human activities.”
But how to make people care? Krzysztof Skora says that healthy marine mammals are the best indication of the state of the natural environment. If there are many of them in the coastal waters, this is the best sign that it is also a good environment for people to stay and enjoy their free time. The more holiday-makers come to a given place, the better it is for the local community. The enthusiasm with which people react to the sight of seals or porpoises is the best proof of that.
What do you think of this article? Drop us an email at
english.section@radio.com.pl
www.polskieradio.pl/polonia/article.asp?tId=35299&j=2