Saturday, November 18, 2006

Greenpeace, YouTube & Bottom Trawling

Now that I've got a couple months of blogging experience, I figured YouTube was the next web medium to explore. And what to my wondering eyes should appear today but a new video spoof by Greenpeace slamming Canada's stance on deep-sea dragging just as a
six-day round of talks on sustainable fisheries begin at the United Nations.

The online ad features the lippy kids from South Park: their target is the Canadian government and its opposition to a ban on bottom trawling on the high seas.

Greenpeace Canada said they launched the ad Friday as a way to reach a segment of the population who might not otherwise be familiar with Ottawa's position on trawling.

Opponents of bottom trawling say the heavy, weighted nets destroy sensitive marine habitats as they drag along the ocean floor. Conservation groups note that Ottawa has long supported
a ban on drift-netting. They maintain that if Canada refuses to back a trawling ban, along with Spain, Iceland and Japan, it's unlikely the UN will pass a tough resolution outlawing dragging.

Sounds like a perfect time to dash off a note to my local Member of Parliament!!

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