During the off season there aren't many stories from the beach, but a tour of the news comes up with a few gems. I really thought I was day dreaming when I saw this one:
Shell Oil has come under heavy criticism for planning an oil and gas drilling site that could threaten a coral reef off the coast of Australia that is among the most valuable marine ecosystems on the planet.
I had to read that a couple of times before it sunk in. Shell is actually wanting to drill for oil 30 miles from Ningaloo Reef marine park. It is home to some 460 species of fish, 200 species of corals, molluscs, turtles, dugongs, whale sharks... the list goes on.
4 species of turtles, loggerhead (Caretta caretta), green (Chelonia mydas), flatback (Natator depressus) and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) use the surrounding waters to forage and the surrounding beaches as nesting grounds. The flatback is only found in that region, and all turtles are endangered. But it isn't only about the turtles or the fish or the whales... Australian reefs are the most pristine in the world and the least impacted by human activities. According to the UN, reefs have an economic impact of $172bn annually and 300 million people depend on them directly.
Despite the 'best intentions' of oil companies claiming a very strong commitment to the protection of biodiversity, we all know the impact of oil spills. Gulf of Mexico anyone?
And it isn't just Shell that is at it, BP has announced plans to conduct seismic exploration with a view to drill in the Great Australian Bight marine park.
Let's hope these plans just stay on paper and don't reach the development phase.
The fish will thank us!
recently in the news: Shell's drilling off Australia could 'devastate' endangered marine life
recently in the news: Shell's drilling off Australia could 'devastate' endangered marine life
No comments:
Post a Comment