What greater demonstration could there be of the dire, urgent need for tighter controls over discarded fishing gear, plastics and other human pollutants in the ocean, on this World Ocean’s Day 2022, than the utter tragedy of a dead wild cetacean found with blue fishing net wrapped around its tail? Disgust must surely rise in the throats of anyone who cares for our environment, or about our marine neighbours, so many of whom make their homes off our southern coasts and a third of the world’s species of which pass through these waters every year. Those in the know come to see these majestic creatures in their natural habitats, which are abundant here, but we must work to keep those habitats clean.
With futile regret and sadness this Wednesday, June 8, the lifeless body of a dolphin was reported on the southern coast of Gran Canaria, not far from that emblematic beacon known as the Faro de Maspalomas Lighthouse, in the southern tourism heartlands of San Bartolomé de Tirajana. Though it is not yet clear how this magnificent creature ended up dead on one of our beaches, it is most assuredly a timely reminder of the ignorance of man (and it is most often man) and the importance of education to help protect our unique natural environment.
Several bathers reported the discovery on the morning of World Oceans Day, and technicians from the Cabildo, island council, came to remove it’s corpse to take it for assessment by government officials.
If you can, please do your bit, keep plastic out of the sea, support artisanal fishing done the right way, and register your votes for those who will try to protect our oceans.
We are now less than one year away from municipal elections, and the sanctity of the marine environment and for its wildlife in particular, should of course feature on any right-minded candidate’s agenda for the future.
