Target: U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland
Goal: Stop introducing fish species in ecosystems that do not support them.
Nearly 42% of endangered species are at risk due to the inclusion of invasive species entering their ecosystems. For marine life especially, thousands of fish species are put at risk by cargo ships moving ballast water to and from their destination. This allows invasive species to move into unfit ecosystems that put preexisting fish at risk. Many aquarium owners will release fish into oceans and/or other bodies of water in hopes of returning them to their natural ecosystem. More often than not, this ends up harming the environment.
When an unfit species enters waterways, food sources are put at risk, increasing starvation throughout the ecosystem. Biodiversity is threatened, and the overall habit can go through detrimental changes. Many plants and fish are at risk of becoming extinct because of the inclusion of invasive species. These inclusions may cause direct or indirect altercations, but nonetheless, the entire ecosystem can change to fit the needs of the invasive fish rather than continue providing for the present marine life.
Sign this petition to demand invasive species to stop being included in preexisting ecosystems. Marine life suffers the consequences of these new species being brought in, and this is incredibly unfair. Innocent fish are losing their lives and biodiversity is steadily decreasing. Invasive species drain present ecosystems of valuable resources and food sources, and they need to be stopped. Demand the prioritization of already present marine life over that of invasive species.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Secretary Haaland,
Please stop the addition of invasive marine life in improper ecosystems. When invasive marine life enters an unfit ecosystem, hundreds of fish are at risk of extinction. Their food source may drastically decrease, and the overall diversity of the ecosystem may falter. The actual environment within the ecosystem also falters. Existing plants may not receive the correct minerals to flourish.
Cargo ships cause unfit waters and materials to travel. In turn, new marine life comes to ecosystems that cannot sustain them and native plants and species. Oftentimes, species that are not native receive the proper necessities needed to reproduce, killing off the other species. This is an unfair component to this entire process. Aquarium owners may also release fish into oceans and other bodies of water. This further harms the well sustained environment in different bodies of water.
We urge you to make the adequate changes needed to sustain existing ecosystems within water. These environments need a set amount of biological aspects to survive on their own, and the inclusion of other marine animals is detrimental to the well-being of plant and marine life. Something must be done to halt this common occurrence. Do your best to sustain life within waterways. Thank you for your attention to this message.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: pxfuel
