Five grey whales have died in local waters recently and no one's quite sure what to make of it. There is concern that malnutrition may have played a role. Then there's water-borne garbage. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports that the stomach of a dead grey found in West Seattle last week was discovered to contain "20-plastic bags, small towels, surgical gloves, sweat pants, plastic pieces, duct tape and a golf ball."
The Cascadia Research group concluded that the whale had been feeding in "industrial areas." Greys are filter feeders that rummage through sea bed muck in search of shellfish and other creatures.
It is disheartning to know that 99.9% of the population doesn't give a dam and that includes governments at all levels.
ReplyDeleteWhile the evidence from one whale can be dismissed as anecdotal, these afflictions to our coastal marine life are spreading in varieties and numbers. Bioconcentration is now threatening the Orca. Plankton are absorbing manmade toxic discharge which then concentrates in their predator, plankton, that in turn concentrate up the food chain through herring, salmon and utlimately whales. The toxins can be transmitted upward through several species growing ever greater in volume straight to the top.
ReplyDeleteYes..toxins such as birth control pill waste...yuck!!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately you're completely right. Even if waste water is treated before being discharged, harmful chemicals including medicinals often remain. I live in Geriatric Alley and our coastal water is found to contain a lot of heart and arthritis medicine chemicals. If we value our marine life and want it around for future generations we're simply going to have to find a way to deal with these things.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your reply. That was me that wrote the Anon 6:06
ReplyDeleteOh...I forgot to add viagra waste as well.
ReplyDelete