Ocean: War of Independence (12 page)

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APPENDIX III

Edicts Concerning Activities In and Around the Ocean
(Addendum #2 to Declaration of Ocean Independence)

A new method of worldwide policing of ocean waters is hereby established under the auspices of a Sea Warrior division known as the Ocean Management Authority (OMA). There will be severe penalties for infractions. All new rules will be as black and white as possible, without the legal loopholes that clever attorneys have been so adept at exploiting for their various greedy clients. There will be minimal negotiations involving any of these matters. For the most part, the OMA will make its pronouncements, and each one of them will be final.

In order to deal with special needs around the world, there will be teams set up by the Ocean Management Authority to address specific problems in such unique and environmentally critical areas as the Antarctic, the Caribbean, the Great Barrier Reef, the Gulf of Mexico, and even the Mississippi River, which flows into the sea. Nations will be expected to not only comply with rules that directly involve activities on or near the sea, but will be forced to comply with land-based requirements, to prevent the air pollution which is detrimental to the health of the ocean—and to the entire planet. In some cases, river dams will be ordered destroyed, so that fish can again migrate upstream to their historical spawning grounds. No longer will human needs trump those of marine organisms.

Some nations will claim such measures are draconian; others will say they are desperately needed. But no matter what any human beings say, the edicts of the OMA will become the law of the world. This is the new reality, and those who readily accept will be far better off than those we must deal with in severe ways. Standards of living will diminish in many so-called “advanced” nations as their luxuries are whittled away, but we are confident that human society will find ways to adjust in this regard. As a consequence, marine life will enjoy the benefits, and in effect, the “standard of living” for ocean organisms will improve as that of humans declines, and justifiably so.

This document does not purport to specify all of the remedies that are required in order to restore the world’s marine environment to health—except to stipulate that all future human actions involving the ocean in any way will now require the advance approval of the Sea Warriors. Depending upon how much of an emergency each particular situation is, there will be timetables for compliance, ranging from a few weeks or months for critical matters to as much as 50 years. By the end of that 50 year period, every human society on the planet must be in full compliance with the requirements of the Ocean Management Authority.

In the future, there could be a reward system for those individuals, companies, and governments that show the most concern for the ocean—but the history of human transgressions is so egregious that it will be at least 10 years before anything like that is considered.

Based upon circumstances, special teams of the Ocean Management Authority will determine timetables all over the world for the following categories, and will notify local authorities of their final decisions. No timetable will be longer than 50 years.

I. Dumping at Sea and Carelessness.
Severity Level—Extremely High.

Effective immediately, nothing may be dumped in the world’s ocean (or in any river, stream, or outfall that flows into the ocean)—not from any shore nor from any watercraft, nor by any other means. All garbage, by-products and other materials that human civilization generates are considered foreign to the ocean, and shall be dealt with by human beings on the land, so that they do not adversely affect the ocean.

Everything that has previously been left in the ocean by humans, including (but not limited to) shipwrecks, plastics, fishing nets, gear, and traps, shall be removed by humans, under the supervision of the Sea Warriors. While some of these items have already been brought up from the seabed by marine animals and deposited on the shores, much more remains to be done—centuries and centuries of filth left behind by human beings.

II. Overfishing, Hunting, and Gathering.
Severity Level—High for Some Species.

Effective immediately, except as permitted under close Sea Warrior supervision, nothing belonging to the ocean may be taken by humans from the waters for any purpose, or harmed in any other way. There will be no more killing and stuffing of trophy fish, turtles, or any other marine animals. Commercial, private, and sport fishing is banned, including (but not limited to) whaling, tuna-seining, crabbing, lobstering, and any other endeavor that involves the removal of living organisms from the ocean. This includes bans on the collection of sea cucumbers and seaweed, and on the collection of shellfish by any means. No more abalone, clams, oysters, mussels, or geoducks will be harvested from the wild. Nothing whatsoever may be taken without Sea Warrior approval.

Some aquaculture operations will be allowed, but all such operations will be strictly supervised by the Sea Warriors, to prevent the transfer of infectious viruses, parasites, genetic contamination, and other problems that have caused so much harm to wild species in the past. Fish farms will no longer be permitted to use wild fish as food—the farms will need to be completely self-contained, and non-intrusive into natural waters, except that they will be allowed to use natural seawater to fill the fully-enclosed pens—and nothing can be emptied from those pens back into natural waters. All waste products will have to be hauled inland to approved dump sites.

Around the world, a few traditional fishing methods may be permitted, and will be considered by the OMA on a case by case basis. Some that are under consideration are the Arab method of catching cuttlefish with hooks on long handles, spearfishing by African coastal villagers, South Sea islander methods of diving for fish and shellfish, Native American fishing, and even a very small amount of Native American whaling—such as by the Salish tribes of the Pacific Coast, and by the Inuit or Eskimo people of the Arctic. The Inuit might also be permitted to harvest a small number of seals and walruses for food, and for animal skins, which have been used traditionally for tents and cold-weather garments.

No native peoples anywhere in the world will be allowed to use guns or any fishing gear or other equipment that is not approved by the OMA. And, while it is known that some people have used fishing nets traditionally, the OMA will be very cautious in allowing any of this in the future—because of the slippery slope it could provide, in which nets eventually get larger and more efficient.

III. Mining Problems.
Severity Level—High.

Subject to phasing down, in a timetable established by OMA, all mining operations described in this section will gradually be prohibited from occurring in or near the ocean (including on and under its seabed), and this prohibition will extend to connecting bodies of water and waterways. At the end of the specified period, there shall be no mining activities whatsoever in these areas. This prohibition includes (but is not limited to) manganese, gold, and copper, which have previously been mined in large amounts.

IV. Noise Pollution.
Severity Level—Extremely High.

Effective immediately, no explosives of any kind may be set off in ocean waters, nor shall there be any nuclear testing, sonar testing, or any other activity that casts noise over or through the water above decibel levels that are to be established for various locales around the world.

V. Oil Spills and Oil Drilling.
Severity Level—Extremely High.

Subject to phasing down, in a timetable established by OMA, all operations described in this section will gradually be prohibited from occurring in or near the ocean. At the end of the specified period:

a) There shall be no transportation of oil or other hazardous cargoes across any body of ocean water, or inland ocean waterway, or body of water that connects with the sea, or on any river that flows into the sea.

b) There shall be no drilling for oil, natural gas, or anything else through any ocean seabed, or under any ocean seabed from any angle, or within 25 miles of any ocean shoreline, or inland ocean waterway, or body of water that connects with the sea, or river that flows into the sea.

c) No oil refineries may be located within 25 miles of any ocean shoreline, or inland ocean waterway, or body of water that connects with the sea, or river that flows into the sea. Safety precautions will be taken to prevent the seepage of oil or other contaminants into streams, rivers, lakes, and aquifers.

VI. Marine Pollution.
Severity Level—Extremely High.

Subject to phasing down, in a timetable established by OMA, all operations described in this section will gradually be prohibited from occurring in or near the ocean. At the end of the specified period, there shall be no dumping of oil, treated or untreated sewage, garbage, junk, industrial waste products, harmful chemicals, agricultural wastes, nuclear wastes, or any other transfer of hazardous materials from the land to the sea, whether directly into these waters or into rivers or other bodies of water that are connected with the sea.

VII. Damage Caused by Ships and Boats.
Severity Level—High.

Subject to phasing down, in a timetable established by OMA, all motorized vessels will gradually be prohibited from operating in the ocean and connecting waters, including but not limited to a prohibition against backup motors for sailing vessels. This edict will apply to watercraft of any nature, including but not limited to hovercraft, private vessels and jet skis, commercial passenger and cargo ships, and military vessels (including submarines). All motorized watercraft of any nature will be banned on a schedule of removal that will be determined by the Ocean Management Authority.

At the end of this specified period, only approved watercraft will be permitted in the ocean and connecting waters—non-motorized sailboats, windsurfing boards, human-powered craft (such as paddleboats), and the like. Alternative energy sources such as solar power or steam power might be acceptable for propulsion, but only if they can move vessels through the water without discharging pollutants, and at noise levels meeting OMA standards. Nuclear-powered vessels will never be considered under any circumstances, because of their potential to contaminate the water.

Sea Warrior-inspected and -approved vessels will be marked with flags that are electronically imprinted, so that they can be checked remotely from the sea, from the air, and by satellite for authentication.

And, effective immediately, except as permitted under close Sea Warrior supervision, no hazardous products of any sort may be transported in the ocean or connecting waterways by watercraft, or over these waters by aircraft. This includes, but is not limited to, a ban against the transportation of petroleum products, radioactive materials, harmful chemicals, and military supplies. All motorized navies in the world are hereby declared illegal, because by their very nature they carry hazardous products, and have a history of wreaking destruction on ocean waters.

Special Note Regarding Aircraft:
All airspace over the ocean is considered Ocean Airspace, and as such is subject to the jurisdiction of the Ocean Management Authority. No aircraft may fly over any portion of the ocean without first obtaining a proper permit from OMA. To the extent possible, airborne vessels must cross the ocean over the poles, or by the shortest routes separating continents, and must take all possible care to avoid dumping or spilling fuel into the water. Any aircraft that does release fuel into the water will be subject to an OMA investigation, in which the pilot and crew must prove that the action was necessary in order to protect the safety of the aircraft and its passengers and crew. A special exception to the non-motorized rule may be granted by the OMA when it is necessary to rescue the passengers of downed aircraft or foundering vessels. Seaplanes and other aircraft with pontoons are not allowed to fly over the ocean, or land on the water.

Cruise Ship and Ocean Liner Violations.
All requirements specified in Section VII also apply to cruise ships and ocean liners. In addition, effective immediately, all passenger ships and other watercraft are prohibited from traveling to ecologically sensitive marine area, locations that are to be specified by OMA.

VIII. Cruelty to Marine Animals.
Severity Level—High.

Effective immediately, no one shall harass marine animals, ride them, or interact with them in any way, except under the close supervision of the Sea Warriors.

Because of numerous problems involving persons diving, snorkeling, and swimming in the sea, such activities will only be allowed after special training by the Sea Warriors, and the issuance of permits. Each permit holder will receive a whale tattoo on the arm—made with a greenish, iridescent ink that can only be obtained from the deepest trenches of the sea, and is easily recognizable as authentic by the Sea Warriors.

IX. Imperiled Coastal Ecosystems and Shorelines.
Severity Level—Extremely High.

Effective immediately, no one is permitted to enter any ecologically sensitive marine area (such as mangrove forests, salt marshes, estuaries, beaches where turtles lay eggs, or coral reef formations), except under the close supervision of the Sea Warriors. It is strictly prohibited to log mangrove trees, or to remove any plant, piece of coral, or marine organism from such areas.

Beachcombing is not allowed anywhere, not even by those persons who are specifically granted permission to be on beaches. Due to past littering, habitat destruction, and other problems, permits for entering beach areas will be similar to those for diving, snorkeling, and swimming under Section VIII.

The construction of new saltwater piers, docks, bulkheads, and bridges is prohibited, and any existing structures will be removed, on a timetable to be determined by the OMA. Other requirements will be developed, on a region by region basis, for increased setbacks from shorelines for new building construction, and for phasing out existing structures that are too close to the water.