DETER BUT DO NOT KILL

On Vancouver Island, there will be efforts to deter harbour seals from eating Chinook salmon through mild electric shocks.The Department of Fisheries and Oceans hopes to install an electric field underwater to shock the seals into retreat. Smith-Root is the company that is setting up the electric field.

The electric field has been tested at the Vancouver Aquarium and it seems that there are no lasting side effects on seals from this deterrence. While seals are just following their natural instincts, it is also necessary to save the Chinook population. An electric field is a compromise but does not address the pollution issue on the Puntledge River nor does it inquire about the necessity of sports fishing. As a former fisher who ate the fish I caught, I've since become vegetarian and do not see the point of fishing unless it is absolutely essential for survival. Sport fishing is a waste of resources that would be better utilized to maintain the environment and the delicate balance of life in the waters.

Technorati Tags: harbour seals, fishing, environment

COMPLETELY CUTE

Al Gore at the Oscars and his speech about the environment was endearing. Initially, the former VP seemed as if he didn't know that he should be there in front of all those "Hollywood types".I would have loved to know what was going through Gore's mind at the moment. He had a wonderful face,like a little boy on his birthday who had been hoping for the one special present and suddenly what he wished for was the first gift.

Nothing, however, could replace the gift that Al Gore has given the world as a statesman, a scientist, and an activist for the environment. His film and his persistence in sounding the alarm about our ailing planet will be a present to our and future generations.