| DECADES OF OCEAN DUMPING ENDED
Not so long ago, with eight ocean
dumpsites, the Bight was the “Ocean Dumping Capital of the World.”
These dumpsites included those for dredged material, cellar dirt,
sewage sludge, acid wastes, wood incineration, and industrial wastes.
The Bight shows the results of this legacy of pollution: fish
advisories from contaminated sediments, beach closures from runoff, storm
drains, and raw sewage discharge, and littered beaches.
Though those barbaric days are behind us, there are
those who, looking to exploit the sea’s riches and threaten its
ecosystem, view this living resource as a cheap disposal ground. The Bight is still at the receiving end of the most densely
populated urbanized area in the country, belching a steady toxic tide of
poisons into the water. The
fertile waters of the Bight are suffocating under the rainy day deluge of
sediment, pesticides, petroleum, and sewage. The bounty-rich offshore underwater lands
are seen by powerful
industries as ripe for exploitation.
Ecological Significance
- Physical, hydrodynamic, and biological characteristics of the Bight are unique in the world
- Over 300 species of fish
- Nearly 350 species of birds
- Route for countless species of migratory fish and birds
Economic Significance
- Generates crucial and sustainable economic and intrinsic values to millions of people
- Host to one of the world’s busiest ports
- Sustains a multi-billion dollar commercial and recreational fishery
- Provides recreation and tourism opportunities for millions of residents and visitors each year
Introducing
the Clean Ocean Zone |