When it comes to marine conservation, most of us feel
small and helpless. Who wants (or has the time) to fight big business, the
federal government or a roomful of loud, angry people? Not me. And not
many people I know.
Still, the majority of Hawaii residents love the ocean
and feel frustrated that it is so often misused. But if each of us directs
that frustration toward one or two small conservation acts throughout the
year, we can make a difference.
Here are a few ideas for some easy New Year's
resolutions that will help Hawaii have cleaner water and healthier marine
life:
Leash your dog at
the beach and in nature parks. Recently, I was walking on Kailua
Beach where dogs running free were nearly as common as children building
sand castles.
Yes, dogs are adored members of our families, and we
love to watch them play. But these lovable pets are hunters by nature
and do serious damage to Hawaii's wildlife.
Dogs kill ghost crabs.
Loose dogs prevent migratory shorebirds from feeding
at the beach.
At Kaena Point, where seabirds nest, dogs kill
chicks, sometimes by the dozen.
Pick up after your
dog. Dog feces pollute our ocean waters. This is especially true at
beaches, but it also occurs on lawns and gutters when rains wash the
feces into storm drains that empty into the ocean.
Don't get discouraged when you see others not picking
up after their dog. The more some of us do it, the quicker the practice
becomes the norm.
Don't collect or
buy seashells. When you see jewelry, plant holders or other
household items made of seashells, remember that each shell was once the
home of a living snail.
These animals are a vital link in the marine food
chain and thus help keep our reefs healthy.
When snails die naturally, their empty shells become
homes for hermit crabs, animals that eat dead plant and animal material
and thus clean the reefs.
If a hermit doesn't use an empty shell, it eventually
disintegrates, recycling its calcium carbonate back into the ocean.
So do the ocean a favor in 1999: If you find a pretty
shell on the beach, admire it, then toss it back. And take a pass on
those cute cowrie earrings.
Try being a true
vegetarian. I am always amazed when someone tells me they have
turned vegetarian because they don't want to kill animals -- and then
order a mahimahi sandwich.
Fish and invertebrates are living, breathing animals
that suffer and die as painfully as land animals do. I'm not saying we
should never kill and eat marine animals. But I am suggesting that if
you are a vegetarian, either full- or part-time, or thinking of trying
to become one, the ocean's animals should count, too.
Don't kill fish
needlessly. Whenever I visit my sailboat in the Ala Wai Boat Harbor,
I see people fishing there. But the Department of Health has issued a
warning not to eat fish from this harbor due to pollution.
When I ask these fishers if they intend to eat their
catch, they say no, they just like to fish.
This year, try sitting by the water and admiring live
fish instead of catching and killing them.
Teach children
marine conservation. This is probably the most important item on the
list for making a difference. Our kids inherit not only the ocean, but
also our ideas about how to treat it.
Talk to kids about dogs being hunters, about
seashells being snail homes, about choosing what to eat and about
respecting life.
Help children learn to love the ocean by taking them
often to the beach, the aquarium and Sea Life Park.
