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Endangered Mediterranean

The Mediterranean coastline, long the playground of the rich and famous (as well as the not-so-rich and far-less-famous) is starting to suffer the consequence of so much tourism, development and aquatic traffic.

More than 100 native species have become endangered, invasive species (hitching a ride in on ships using the Suez Canal) have become a high-priority threat and unsustainable fishing practices are taking a toll. The problems are exacerbated by roughly 250,000 metric tons of oil being discharged into the ocean each year from passing tankers.

The problems have not gone unnoticed, but most solutions exist on paper only, those familiar with the area caution. Twenty-two countries share the coastline. Over the past three decades, governments belonging to the European Union have developed agreements and conventions to protect the area from pollution, preserve biodiversity and establish protected areas. But the problems persist, and in some cases have grown even worse.

Experts say the waters of the Mediterranean could be cleaned up and preserved if protective measures were enforced and more aggressive actions taken. But with the coastal population already covering 40 percent of the shoreline and another 4,000 kilometers of coastline expected to disappear by 2025, the prospects for cleaner waters and healthier aquatic life don’t look promising.

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To read more about this and other environmental health issues, go to: www.environmentalhealthnews.org, www.ourstolenfuture.org, or www.healthandenvironment.org