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June 5th: World Environment Day: Dead or Alive? The Suffering of the Oceans

Wädenswil (ots)

"Wanted! Seas and Oceans - Dead or alive?" This
motto is aimed at raising awareness about the threat facing the
world's oceans. ASMS OceanCare will submit an international petition
following the World Environment Day in New York. The organisation
calls for a campaign against underwater noise pollution.
Sustainability - the careful handling of our planet's natural
resources - is a challenge of vital importance which spans the
world's continents. This will be emphasised this Saturday, World
Environment Day, through various activities, events and campaigns.
Since 1972, the World Environment Day has taken place annually on
June 5th. Today ca. 150 countries are involved. The goal is to inform
as many people as possible and motivate them to participate.
Oceans are the best symbol of the importance of a respectful
attitude towards our  surroundings. That is why the motto of this
year's Environment Day is "Wanted! Seas and Oceans - Dead or alive?".
Are the seas and oceans already more dead today than alive? "The
motto reminds us that we have control over how we want to treat our
oceans", states Sigrid Lüber, President of the Swiss organisation
"ASMS OceanCare".
"Do we want healthy oceans full of life, or do we want them
polluted and dead?" Sigrid Lüber lists some of the most serious
impacts: Overfishing and reckless exploitation of marine resources,
resulting in millions of animals dying as "bycatch" annually.
Pollution through toxins, solid waste such as plastic objects and
over-fertilisation, which transform whole marine territories into
dead zones. Or climate change.
Most of all, however, Sigrid Lüber is concerned about the rapid
increase in underwater noise pollution: "This has little to do with
noise from motors. Military experiments using high intensity, low
frequency sonar systems pose a much more serious threat.". The
enormous noise resulting from these human-generated low tones
disturbs whales, dolphins and other marine life during orientation,
communication and location of prey.
For this reason, ASMS OceanCare developed a petition together with
partner organisations. One of the issues addressed is the breach of
the Law of the Sea through sonar experiments. The petition therefore
calls for these noise attacks to be stopped in general. Furthermore,
international agreements should be developed which will regulate the
treatment of such experiments. In addition, intended noise testing
must be made public, and alternatives should be researched.
Nearly 50 European NGOs have signed the petition. Together with
Marsha Green, an American from "Ocean Mammal Institute", Sigrid Lüber
will submit the petition to over 80 European and American
organisation representatives of UNEP (United Nations Environment
Programme) in New York on the occasion of the World Environment Day.
"All of us need to take care or our oceans", that is clear to Sigrid
Lüber: "Even us Swiss, living in a country surrounded by land,
influence what occurs in the oceans in various ways - and in far more
ways than many think."
About ASMS OceanCare
ASMS OceanCare is a non-profit organisation with headquarters in
Wädenswil/Switzerland. It was founded in 1989 and currently numbers
some 32'000 members and donors. ASMS aims at achieving freedom, well
being and survival for marine mammals worldwide. It has a strong
commitment to realistic and cooperative initiatives. Efforts focus on
building public awareness and offering credible resources for
Governmental issues. On the basis of these principles, the
association works at national and international level in the areas of
whaling, industrial fishing, environmental changes, seal hunting and
dolphin captivity.

Kontakt:

Vera Bürgi
ASMS OceanCare
Oberdorfstr. 16
Postfach 30
CH-8820 Wädenswil
Switzerland
Mobile +41/79/205'63'65
Phone +41/1/780'66'88
Fax +41/1/780'68'08
Internet: http://www.silentoceans.org
Internet: http://www.oceancare.org

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