Stop Bulldozing the Oceans
Imagine a bulldozer flattening your neighborhood, destroying houses, restaurants, parks – and your family
That's what bottom trawling does to ocean animals. Huge nets scrape the seafloor, destroying everything in their path.
When they're gone, so are the colorful corals that were home to seals, sea lions, and the fish they need to stay alive. All that's left is a barren wasteland that welcomes neither humans nor animals.
Right now, Chile is considering expanding marine reserves and protecting special areas of their ocean. Speak up now to tell Chile the world is watching out for sea lions, corals, and our oceans.
Dear President Piñera of Chile,
I am writing in support of efforts to protect Juan Fernandez and Chile’s incredible sea mountains from bottom trawling. Ruthless and indiscriminant, trawling is a form of fishing that drags huge chains and nets along the bottom of the sea floor, destroying everything in its path. These unique Chilean ecosystems are home to the Juan Fernandez fur seal and many other treasures that draw visitors from around the world.
It would be a shame if bottom trawling destroyed these habitats and the food source that fur seals and other animals depend upon for survival. I encourage you to ban trawling now. Unfortunately, there is a lot of evidence of what happens when trawlers and sea mountains mix. Sea mountains are ocean oases, providing shelter and food in the open ocean. But they are no match for trawlers. Hundreds-year old corals are flattened in mere minutes. Entire schools of fish are scooped up, leaving little behind for seals, dolphins, and other animals to eat. Life is forever changed with a single pass of a trawler.
Chile is becoming a true leader and inspiration with its recent decisions to create a large protected area at Sala y Gomez and protecting ocean jewels, like the Punta de Choros marine reserve. It would send a wonderful message to the rest of the world if Chile takes this next step for ocean conservation and also ensures that I may someday be able to travel to Chile and to see the incredible wonder that is your sea mountains.
