What do you as an owner, your crew and guests onboard do to make a positive impact on the environment? What more could you do? Here are my thoughts.
If you’ve ever fished Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala and/or Mexico, you have seen trash lines offshore that are of epic proportion. These garbage tracks go on and on for miles. Plus, they are as deep as the water visibility allows you to see down into the depths. These “floaters” make for some incredible fishing stories, but it is also difficult to imagine the effects this huge amount of trash has on the oceanic environment.
We’ve seen up close the effects on marine life. Cases in point, we’ve stopped in the middle of an ocean crossing and rescued a turtle from nets and line, seen seals with plastic rings on their fins or noses, and witnessed whales with lines tangled around their fins.
We worked with the International SeaKeepers Society to collect data on microplastics when we crossed the South Pacific. We were amazed by the sheer amount of small plastic and microplastic that we captured with our net in what appeared to be a pristine clear blue ocean in the middle of nowhere. According to SeaKeepers, some 8 to 12 million tons of plastic find its way into the sea—from coastlines to the middle of the ocean—each year.
I don’t think any of us have the answers to combat these problems on a global scale. However, I do believe that every little bit helps, whether it’s participating in beach clean-ups, recycling, releasing healthy fish when possible, keeping our bilges clean and just being good stewards of the ocean and earth around us.
Let us not forget about educating others. I remember years ago pulling into Pinas Bay, Panama, taking in the scenery and seeing the striking jungle backdrop, with locals in their dugout canoes paddling around welcoming us into the bay. Once settled at anchor, some of the crew went to visit with the locals and took candy out for the kids. Adults and children alike opened the candy and threw the wrappers in the water!
We must teach others, and especially the next generations, to respect the environment and to help protect and preserve the oceans, bays and waterways that provide us all with jobs, food, entertainment and natural beauty.
About the author:
Capt. John Crupi | Rubicon Maritime
rubiconmaritime.com | Instagram @rubiconmaritime
