Jeremy Jackson: A Rude Awakening on the State of the Oceans

This piece was and is very very disturbing to me. I am an ocean child; born and raised and always drawn to the coastlines and islands of the world… I do not handle ‘inland’ well.

It’s not that I don’t love mountains, I just prefer them in the sea.

Or at least near by.

Because I am in my early 50’s I am near enough to this man’s age
to have borne witness to what he speaks of…

I went out on a deep sea fishing boat as a child in the ’60s.
my catch was not so impressive, at 22lbs, but to me
it was the world.

Today’s catch is ‘big’ at 4lbs…

His photographs make it plain.
And his research makes it plainer.

As a child I picked wild mussels, fished flounder,
mackerel and catfish – knew waters salt and fresh
alive with life.

The oceans were whole and healthy, wild and clean.

I still live by the ocean.

And thankfully for me, she is still
clean (er) and whole enough
… for now.

We fail to listen
at our own peril.