END DESTRUCTION OF U.S./WORLD FISHERIES

The world's ocean and river fisheries are now under assault by pollution, overfishing, habitat destruction and millions of dams which prevent/block salmon and many other species of anadromous fish from migrating up the world's rivers from oceans to spawn/lay eggs. As world fisheries are destroyed billions of people who once depended on fish for protein are now increasingly attempting to farm already overstressed land.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-

http://www.alternet.org/water/142270/how_farm-raised_salmon_are_turning_our_oceans_into_dangerous_and_polluted_feedlots_/

http://www.mongabay.com/environmental_degradation_shrimp.htm

http://environment.about.com/od/biodiversityconservation/a/dams_salmon.htm

http://www.wildsalmon.org/dyn/content/article/2006/11/02/AR2006110200913.html

http://www.un.org/events/tenstories/06/story.asp?storyID=800

Enormous shrimp farms in sub-tropical and tropical countries are now one of the leading cause of coastal mangrove forest destruction worldwide. (the mangrove forests are cleared to build shrimp farms). Coastal hotels and other developments are also contributing to this destruction. Coastal mangrove forests and river deltas are the nurseries of the world's ocean and river fish.

Coastal salmon farms are now polluting coastal waters with fish waste creating oxygen depleting algea blooms and spreading disease to remaining wild fish populations. Overcrowding on salmon farms is causing disease to proliferate among these caged fish, requiring the large scale use of multiple antibiotics and pesticides to in attempts to control infectious disease and fish lice. These diseases often spread to and kill wild fish.

Over 1 million dams in the U.S. and millions more worldwide are blocking salmon, shad, sturgeon and other anadromous fish from accessing river and river tributary spawning grounds where they lay their eggs. (many salmon have evolved to only spawn in specific river tributaries and will spawn nowhere else when access to these tributaries is blocked by dams). Sturgeon are now facing extinction worldwide because of dams.

In southeast Asia many rivers bottoms are dredged to collect river bottom sand, which is then sold to wealthy countries who use this sand to extend valuable coastal real estate out into the sea. As the river bottom sand is dredged up fish eggs, plants and river bottom eco-systems neccessary for fish survival/reproduction are destroyed.

Dams (in particuliar mainstream dams) are now destroying river deltas worldwide by depriving the deltas of upstream river water and replenishing upstream soil sediments which has the effect of drying out the deltas, causing them to sink into the sea and become salt poisoned.

River channelizing, irrigation diversions for farms in arid areas and overwithdrawal of river water for cities is also depleting river water flows, this has the effect of warming, stagnating and reducing downstream water flows. (many rivers around the world no longer even reach the sea). Many river fish cannot live and reproduce in warm, stagnant, shallow river water.

In many nations factories are relatively free to dump factory chemicals/toxins into nearby rivers and streams with little interference from government. Factory farm operations are also relatively free to drain pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, manure and other agribusiness chemicals/pollutants into local creeks, streams and rivers with little government interference. All these chemicals and toxins then flow out to coastal waters poisoning/killing coastal marine life.

Most of the life in the world's oceans lives in coastal waters, as you move further from the coastlines the oceans are much like deserts, devoid of significant life.

Industrial fish trawling operations have nearly succeeded in eliminating Menhaden Fish (a type of shad) from the entire east coast of the United States and now have been forced to move to the Gulf of Mexico as their catches became to small to be profitable. Menhaden were once one of the most plentiful fish in the coastal waters of the U.S. and are a vital link in the food chain of nearly all coastal marine life/ocean gamefish.

Many fisheries biologist believe that with proper regulation of overfishing, dam removal and river/coastal habitat restoration, the U.S. fishing industry, now valued at 32 billion dollars, could become the largest industry in the United States, worth nearly 1 TRILLION DOLLARS! based on past catch records and historical accounts of salmon and shad runs before the advent of dam building, industrial pollution, logging and river habitat destruction in the U.S.

Salmon now sells for about 5,500 dollars a barrel. Oil now sells for around 90 dollars a barrels and heavily pollutes the world....which is more important to the U.S. economy?

Please use the below links to encourage our U.S. Senators and Representatives to promote environmental policies that restore WILD fish populations in our river, lake and coastal waters. Request studies to develop coastal marine reserves to give fish a chance to recover from the pressures of commercial fishing. (it's worked in New Zealand, a world leader in coastal marine reserves).

Use the above information I have provided, as well as your own research, to learn more about the destruction of the world's fisheries.

Links to all U.S. Senators by state:

http://www.theorator.com/senate.html

Links to all U.S. representatives by state:

http://www.theorator.com/government/house.html

Link to U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works:

http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUs.ContactForm

We the undersigned agree with the sentiments of this petition.