Target: Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of International Maritime Organization
Goal: Coordinate global clean-up of ghost nets from oceans and seas.
The Healthy Seas Foundation conducts expeditions to clear ghost nets from expanses of ocean. One recent expedition to remove a ghost net from a shipwreck resulted in a close encounter with a shark and a renewed grasp of the scope of the problem. The expedition also yielded more calls for action.
Ghost nets are typically left behind from fishing vessels and remain adrift in the oceans for prolonged periods of time. On their undetermined journeys, they can entrap and kill marine life such as sea turtles while also posing a bigger threat to the environment. Large vessels powered by corporate interests are typically behind the drifting nets, and their sea pollution inflicts damage that can last for decades.
Sign the petition below to join the calls for government leaders to address and resolve this looming eco-crisis.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Secretary-General Dominguez,
Ghost nets lost or abandoned by fishing vessels are a growing problem. They can ensnare and endanger wildlife. And their lasting legacy in the world’s oceans includes dangerous toxins and scores of dead animals. The efforts of groups like the Healthy Seas Foundation are far from sufficient to truly address this danger.
Please answer the calls of advocates to make cleaning up the planet’s seas and safeguarding its precious animals and plants a top priority. Implement a robust plan of action for ensuring ghost nets are a haunting memory and not a deadly reality.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Agustin Pinero
