Serious problems in the oceans

[JimC]

Maybe they should make it law that people have to be ''buried'' at sea, rather than burnt or buried on land. After all, cremation produces loads of CO2, and burial uses up land, and pollutes the water.

Chop us up and chuck the bits into the sea, and the environment benefits, and so do the fish and crabs etc.
Actually, the nearest river would do, save on transport cost and carbon.

I'd be happy with that. In fact, I would choose that anyway, given the choice.

Ground up, and put into the salt-water fish farms Hermit mentioned earlier, so no need to add ground up sardines...

Probably a good idea to boil up the bodies first, to eliminate pathogens...

[mistermack]

Maybe they should make it law that people have to be ''buried'' at sea, rather than burnt or buried on land. After all, cremation produces loads of CO2, and burial uses up land, and pollutes the water.

Chop us up and chuck the bits into the sea, and the environment benefits, and so do the fish and crabs etc.
Actually, the nearest river would do, save on transport cost and carbon.

I'd be happy with that. In fact, I would choose that anyway, given the choice.

I'd be happy with that too.
The sooner the better.

Well get on with it.
I don't fancy using your bathwater.

[mistermack]

Ground up, and put into the salt-water fish farms Hermit mentioned earlier, so no need to add ground up sardines...

Probably a good idea to boil up the bodies first, to eliminate pathogens...

Sounds like a good project for irradiation. Cheaper than boiling us up, and good quality sterilization.
They ought to do the same with pets too.

I visited a pet crematorium once. It was pretty horrible, and it must take a lot of gas to cremate a horse. (it was also a place where they put the horses down).

[Blind groper]

The problem with the OP idea is that it assumes the ocean is all the same. Not so.

Where I live in NZ, we have a large marine reserve 25 kms off shore. Since I am a scuba diver, I can testify that the fish stocks in that marine reserve are very, very healthy. Not only that, but the large fish there breed so successfully that they are replenishing the seas around for 100 kms in all directions.

Australia has massive marine reserves also, and the USA has that largest one in the world, centred on Hawaii.

So the answer is no. The oceans will not become depleted of fish, as long as there are progressive nations setting up these reserves. I can see the total reserve area growing over time, as more nations do this.

[pErvinalia]

The ocean is borderless. Reserves can't stop the effects of pollution and global warming. We also get illegal fishing in Australias (and international) reserves each year.

[pErvinalia]

The other point is, that as population and economic pressures grow, the pressure to wind back reserves grows. That's what we are seeing in Australia now. Both in the oceans and on land.

[rainbow]

Probably a good idea to boil up the bodies first, to eliminate pathogens...

More pathogens, more bodies.
Therefore perpetuating itself.
Have you people not heard of sustainability?

[Blind groper]

To rEvo

What we have learned is that marine reserves actually increase the total fish catch, by providing a reserve of large healthy fish to reproduce like crazy. It would be irrational to destroy this resource for a brief increase in fish catch. While governments are often stupid, I do not think they are that crazy.

[pErvinalia]

Of course they are that crazy. Governments operate now like businesses. That is, short-term profit is king. I wish some of you well meaning people would wake up to this fact.

[JimC]

To rEvo

What we have learned is that marine reserves actually increase the total fish catch, by providing a reserve of large healthy fish to reproduce like crazy. It would be irrational to destroy this resource for a brief increase in fish catch. While governments are often stupid, I do not think they are that crazy.

Of course they are that crazy. Governments operate now like businesses. That is, short-term profit is king. I wish some of you well meaning people would wake up to this fact.

Political reality is more nuanced than either of these. Governments are frequently less than rational in all their decisions, BG, even when there are absolutely clear, long term benefits. You do sometimes have a touch of Pollyanna naivety...

However, rEv, neither are they utterly devoid of some thought for the future; they can be persuaded to conserve resources if enough popular opinion supports that position, unlike robber baron capitalists...