The Mooing of...Seals?

Trey Smith

Talk about pesticides and other pollutants negatively impacting our shared environment and a lot of people show great disinterest. "It's no big deal" or "I think the problem exists, but it's over-hyped" are common refrains. According to a recent article in the Vancouver Sun, it IS a big deal and, far from being over-hyped, a lot of what's going on is underreported.

A slew of pathogens typically found in livestock and domestic animals is increasingly being found in marine mammals, including in the Strait of Georgia off Vancouver.

"We're finding similar pathology or abnormalities in marine mammals to what we're seeing in our livestock cases," said Stephen Raverty, a veterinary pathologist with B.C.'s animal health centre in Abbotsford.

Some of these pathogens are thought to make their way from land into the Strait of Georgia through rainwater and streams - especially the Fraser River, which flows through farmland. But there are also concerns that infected marine mammals could pose their own risks to humans.

What makes this report more alarming is that "federal funding for such investigations is drying up" in both the US and Canada. Consequently, while human activities may be jeopardizing the health and safety of marine animals, our chances of knowing AND doing something about it are diminishing.

Sticking our collective heads in the sands won't make these problems go away. In fact, ignoring the situation will make it worse...to the detriment of these innocent beings AND ourselves!