LBAM Spray Assaults Marine Life As Well As Humans
Thursday 13 Mar 2008 | LBAM Spray Bay Area
When you think of Santa Cruz, surfers may be one of the first images that comes to mind. Few people know the beaches around Monterey Bay like the men and women who have been surfing it - many for 40+ years.
Following the illegal and horrific aerial spraying around the Monterey Bay Area, the worst red tide in recent, remembered history appeared along the beaches and lasted for some 30-60 days.
Please watch this YouTube testimony from local surfers regarding the toxic red tide. Many were made ill, others stated that the tide was foul beyond anything they’d ever seen in all of their years of surfing the sea. Do not miss the crucial testimony of these people who love Monterey Bay.
Monterey Bay features a world-famous marine sanctuary, adjunct of the Monterey Bay Aquarium which is visited by millions every year. The sea otters, dolphins, whales, sharks, seals, sea lions, shellfish and sea birds depend on this part of the sea for life.
The Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary is a Federally Protected Wildlife Area.
When the CDFA sprayed one of California’s most cherished coastal areas with CheckMate, they knew it contains Tricaprylmethyammonimum chloride which is labeled as such:
Very toxic to aquatic organisms, may cause long-term adverse effects in the aquatic environment. Target organ(s): Liver. Nerves.
When the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) flew their airplanes over Monterey area and their toxic spray drifted into the ocean, they were breaking the law.
An uncounted number of sick and dead sea birds washed ashore after the spraying. No one knows how many fish, sea otters, seals, and other marine mammals have been damaged and killed by the substance that was sprayed into the ocean by CDFA.
The fouling and poisoning of the water and beaches of Monterey Bay must not be forgiven. This precious ecosystem is one of California’s crowning glories and needs to be protected from men like Ag Dept. Secretary A.G. Kawamura who believe that experimenting on precious water, sea life and human beings is his right. He should not have the power to do this and the Mayor of Albany is being joined by many citizens who are calling for his resignation. This man is an enemy to civil and environmental rights.
What Do We Stand To Lose In the Bay Area When The Spraying Starts
Obviously, our psychological and physical health. We humans stand to lose the very basic freedoms of clean air to breathe, clean water to drink and clean food to eat.
But what about our own precious wild areas and the birds and animals who inhabit them?
The entire Point Reyes Peninsula, the migratory destination of over one hundred vital species of birds, is located in Marin County which is set to be aerially sprayed starting August 1, 2008. The Bolinas Lagoon, Rodeo Lagoon and the Marin headlands are all currently struggling to recover from the unforgivable oil spill of last year which resulted in the death of untold numbers of wild birds.
And now, the CDFA is telling us that they will fill the water and air these birds depend upon for life with particulate plastic, carcinogens and endocrine disruptors.
WE MUST NOT LET THIS HAPPEN.
Just like the people of Monterey, we of the SF Bay Area cherish our wildlife and our coastline.
From the spray product label:
DO NOT contaminate water, food, or feed by storage or
disposal.”IT IS A VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAW TO USE THIS PRODUCT IN A MANNER INCONSISTENT WITH ITS LABELING
It is against Federal Law for the CDFA to contaminate our water, our food with this product. The people doing this need to be held by the same laws as citizens. It is a criminal act to ignore the very laws and warnings which are set in place to protect human life and ecosystems.
Please, join us and fight this. Demand that the Light Brown Apple Moth be correctly reclassified as a non-invasive species. Demand that A.G. Kawamura be removed from his position as the Ag. Dept Secretary and carefully consider your position as to the fitness of our governor who has permitted Federal Law to be broken by special interest groups.
Thursday 13 Mar 2008 | admin | LBAM Spray Bay Area |
Why is Julie Packard, Executive Director and Vice Chairman of the Monterey Aquarium refusing to discuss spraying or take a position??
Dear Joanie,
Thank you for asking that question. I have been completely unable to understand why the Monterey Bay Aquarium isn’t leading the protest against spraying. Though I have never visited the aquarium, it is my understanding that a portion of it is filled with water from the bay. In other words, the water with the pesticides, surfactants and particulate plastic is in the display areas in which the sea animals are swimming.
I can think of 3 reasons why there is this bizarre silence from them.
1) They are afraid if they admit the spraying is dangerous, the tourism they depend on to remain solvent will suffer.
2) They are being, in some way, influenced or controlled by authors of the spray.
3) They know the spray is dangerous, but do not actually care about the health of the bay or the animals in their care.
This could be the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s moment to show themselves as leaders in demanding safety of waters and marine wildlife. Instead, they are appearing to be callous or cowardly. It is hugely disappointing.
Coincidentally, if it is the tourism issue that is holding them back, I want to add the personal story here that my husband and I were planning a trip to Monterey in 2007. We have always wanted to see the beautiful sea otters and other precious wildlife that inhabits the bay. Then we heard about the spraying and that put an end to our plans. We are not alone in deciding not to visit a spray area. Tourism will suffer hugely because of this, and if it is concern for this that is keeping the Monterey Bay Aquarium people silent, they’ve gotten onto the wrong side of the issue.
Why not use their global fame and influence? Write to all of their visitors begging them to support freedom from pesticides for bay wildlife? They could make such a huge difference in this grave battle, but to date, they have failed the environment, its creatures and human inhabitants in every way.
Mim