Articles by Andrew Sharpless

Ted Danson, Leo DiCaprio fight for oceans

New England fishermen, frustrated by how hard it is to catch a boatful off the once-abundant New England coast, are pointing fingers at those clearly responsible for dwindling fish populations: A-list celebrities. According to one source quoted in the article published Monday in South Coast Today, "I don't think they're [that's the celebrities] cognizant of the harm that they're actually causing." Hollywood's got some nerve.

The article focuses on my group, Oceana, as well as the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), citing our opposition to provisions Rep. Frank proposed as part of the reauthorized Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) that would weaken the government's ability to rebuild threatened fish populations. The new MSA, which passed a few weeks ago, enables local administrators to set more scientifically appropriate catch limits and targets to start rebuilding the long list of collapsed or nearly collapsed fish species in New England and around the country.

Oceana nails down the tell-tale symptoms

10. Your family all got sea turtle cookie cutters as stocking stuffers.
9. You know all the words to Joe Vasconcellos's ""Fish Don't Cry."
8. You're willing to cross state lines to shop at a green list grocery store.
7. Your ringtone is a dolphin "clicking."
6. Your baby shower presents are accompanied with the FDA mercury warning.
5. You think Happy Feet has got Oscar written all over it.
4. You've got more fish guides [PDF] in your wallet than credit cards.
3. You think Ted Danson is famous because of his ocean advocacy.
2. You changed your pin code to 2048.
1. Your bumper sticker says "I Heart Krill."

Don't fit the bill? Become an ocean advocate now.

Congress passes mediocre fisheries bill

In the wee hours of Saturday morning, the 109th Congress had the opportunity to leave the session as ocean heroes. Instead, they passed a bill with mostly incremental changes to the existing law that governs America's fisheries. The re-authorized Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act focuses more on who gets to catch the fish in the ocean than how we can make sure there will always be enough fish to catch.

UN fails to ban bottom trawling

Warning: If you don't want to know the ending to Happy Feet, read no further.

On its opening weekend, the tap-dancing penguin raked in $42.3 million, topping the debut of the much-anticipated Bond flick Casino Royale. If you thought your eight dollars would buy an hour and a half of a warm and fuzzy penguin love story set to music, you'll be surprised by the realistic and serious tone of the film (as well as the penguins with Mexican accents ...).