Three weeks from now we will be in a house by an ocean, God willing. We'll be on Change Islands, adjacent to Fogo Island, a place of wild beauty and warm people. As my ministry draws to a close we'll be back where we started, a short distance by water from the communities I served in the early 1980's.
We'll be there during the recreational groundfish fishery which allows Newfoundland residents to catch cod for their own use. Homes on Change Islands which are empty are other times will be filled with those coming home for this opportunity. This personal fishery has expanded over time after a total moratorium on cod fishing when it was established that stocks were plummeting toward extinction. There is now a controlled commercial fishery as well.
For the longest time it was considered a God-given right - literally - to take as much as ships could haul in. The ships got bigger and more efficient until an abundant species all but disappeared. It was reckless plunder rather than careful management. It ruined a way of life for many.
On this World Oceans Day we can lament the emptying of the seas, even as we marvel at them. We can pray that it's not too late to change the course of our species when it comes to conservation and care. We can admire the diversity of the oceans enough to allow them to revive.
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Sadly, our oceans are merely sewers to which everything flows. The amount of plastic and pollution is disturbing, however most of us don't give it a second thought. What do you see when you look at the ocean? Clear blue water. We don't see what it is doing to its inhabitants.
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