 Radio Script 2000 __________________ Undersea Haven STORY: Martin Willison teaches environmental studies at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia. He's developed an idea for an international marine wilderness in the Gulf of Maine, which lies off the coast of the state of Maine and the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. Willison's idea for this undersea wilderness would prohibit commercial activities, including commercial fishing. Willison says the ban on fishing inside this marine wilderness would actually be good for commercial fishing nearby. It would protect spawning areas and other habitat, and he says fish populations would stabilize and the average catch in commercial fisheries would actually improve. WILLISON: "Fisheries are typically boom-and-bust affairs, you know. Lots of people go out and catch fish; they get good catches; more people go out and catch fish; eventually they overexploit it; and down it goes. Then they stop fishing and the fishery recovers, and then they go after it again. It's not a healthy pattern. So it's much better to have a more stable fishery, and this can be obtained by taking out some areas from fishing altogether." Willison says the marine wilderness would also help scientists. WILLISON: "One of our problems in marine research is that we commonly have no areas, or few areas, available for research that are undisturbed. I mean, think of it. Everywhere out in the ocean that's really good for fishing, somebody has fished. So it's a very good idea to set some areas aside which you leave as pristine as possible so that we can understand what nature undisturbed looks like." Willison first proposed the marine wilderness idea in 1994, and both the Canadian and United States governments are now considering it. OUTRO: Our thanks go to Earthwatch Radio for helping with this week's story. This is Arctic Science Journeys Radio, a production of the Alaska Sea Grant Program and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. I'm Doug Schneider.
Audio version and related websites Thanks to the following individual for help preparing this script: Kathleen Schmitt Arctic Science Journeys is a radio service highlighting science, culture, and the environment of the circumpolar north. Produced by the Alaska Sea Grant College Program and the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
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Listen to story on RealAudio Related websites Marine Protected Areas and Marine Reserves (fishermen's perspective) Building a National System of Marine Protected Areas for Coral Reefs |