It's like if we were still whaling...
Hmmph. I just finished reading an article in the Wildlife Conservation Society magazine, about their on-going study of Diamondback Terrapins, their efforts to support the species, and the two greatest threats to the turtles -- habitat loss and pollution (no surprise those), and commercial crab fishing. Why crab fishing? Because crab pots -- if they are not fitted with turtle excluder devices -- entangle and drown male terrapins (female terrapins are much larger and can't get into the pots). One biologist came up with the estimate that approximately 177,480 terrapins will be killed in New Jersey alone in a season. The frustrating thing is that a turtle excluder device is pretty simple to make (see here. Unfortunately WCS doesn't post its articles online, but here's a good description of the problem (with-- if you care about this sort of thing -- ghastly photos). [WCS - June 2008; "Hatching a Future," story and photos by Dan Risch]
I was reminded of the Terrapin article when I came across this item: Oyster-Saving Efforts a Wash In Chesapeake: Fewer Bivalves in the Bay After $58 Million Campaign about a failed government effort to support the plummetting oyster population in the Chesapeake Bay. And yes, it mentions in passing that the Blue Crab population has also "suddenly" experienced a drastic decline.
"We're at 1 percent or less [of the oyster's historic population]. That's collapsed. We're still fishing. It's kind of like if we were still whaling on the East Coast," said David Schulte, an oyster expert with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. "I mean, the population may never recover. It may not recover now anyway."
The above quote comes from a fellow who voices one of the two main criticisms of the failed government program's approach: they seed oysters, then move them to a less polluted area in the Bay, then basically tell the Oyster fishermen to go get 'em. How's that supposed to grow the population?
I really think we need media campaigns -- or something -- to teach ourselves the concept of delayed gratification. Schoolhouse Rock jingos for adults? Another one should counter the cliché: "You can never have too much [fill in the blank]." Get Americans singing about having "enough." That'd be a freaking revolution.