A story about spotted seals

继续奉上程淑玲在清迈的生活学习动态。 本期主题是海豹，与蔚然大连的斑海豹保育宣传项目不谋而合。这也说明，某一物种的保育不是一个人、一个地区甚至一个国家的问题，它需要有行动意识和改变能力的人类共同努力！

  Spotted seals (Phoca largha) are a kind of marine mammal, they habitate the coastal areas in temperate zone and frigid temperate  zone. They are primarily found along the continental shelf of the Beaufort, Chukchi, Bering and Okhotsk Seas and south to the northern Yellow Sea and it migrates as far as north Huanghai and the western Sea  of Japan. 
   
In Dalian, spotted seals can be found around Liaodong Bay. Panjin is the habitat; Changxing Island and Lvshun are along the path of migration.
 
LiaodongBayis a breeding area in the southernmost part of the Western Pacific, and also the place where spotted seals live. Every time after entering October, and the spotted seals are successively seen on this piece of waters. In March when the sea ice of Liaodong Bay is melting, the seal pups are separated from the adults, scattered in the nearby waters for feeding. They can be scattered throughout the whole Bohai Sea and the northern Huanghai Sea. The Shuangtaizi river mouth, where spotted seal pups are born, is the most important habitat for spotted seal pups. They are here on the beach feeding, resting, molting .In May they gradually leave the Bohai Sea, swimming along the coast of Dalian to leave China Sea to the north for the summer. So the Liaodong Bsy is the most important place for spotted seals.
 
According to experts, survey findings in 1930 showed that the spotted seals population in Liaodong Bay is 7100. The number in 1979 was reduced to 2269. After protective measures were implemented, the number was restored, increasing to 4500 in 1993. Over the last 10 years, the number of spotted seals in Liaodong Bay was declined sharply and now every year the number of spotted seals coming to Liaodong Bay for habitating and breeding is only about 1000.
 
Many reasons lead to the decline of the number of spotted seals in Liaodong Bay. First, since the harbor seal has a high economic value as traditional Chinese medicine, fishermen catch spotted seals to make "penisotariae". At the same time, the spotted seals have the visual value, so aquarium, parks and big hotels buy many spotted seals. However, the change in the Bohai Sea habitat is a deeper reason for te decline in seal population. Moreover, Dalian coastal economic activities have become increasingly frequent. The rapid development of intertidal aquaculture affects the spotted seals’ food structure; the noise and blast waves caused by offshore oil exploration as well as the rapid development of the shipping industry break the tranquil environment for spotted seal; and large-scale development of Changxing Island for the shipping industry have impacts on the environment through which spotted seals must pass. These are serious threats to the survival of spotted seals, and are most likely the key reasons why seals leave but never return.
 
February 2011, a serious event in Panjin city occurred Panjin government planned to build a highway through the spotted seals habitat where there is also a national nature reserve. This project damages the habitat. The spotted seals are very sensitive to noise, if the project starts will create much noise. Before the plan start, the government announced the EIA on its website and asked for public participation, however, the government only gave 10 days, and most people are not in the habit of looking at the government’s website.
 
Fortunately, an NGO called Spotted Seals Protection Volunteer Association in Panjin city took notice of this EIA in March, and then asked for help on Weibo, which we use just like twitter in China. Many NOGs notice the information, and we decided to work together to stop the project.
 
Blue Dalian has one project about spotted seals. We collected much information about them, and have connections with the institution in Pnajin city and other provinces, so Blue Dalian becamea bridge for communication.
 
The first thing we did was to collect more information about spotted seals. There were two master of environment to offer information, and one to edit it more easy and interesting for the public. Blue Dalian also made a video. We put all information on the web and on Weibo, to attract public’s attention. In three days, Weibo had transmitted our information for more than ten thousand times.
 
The second thing we did was hold large scale actives in Dalian and Panjin city to let the public have more understanding about the risks spotted seals face. In April, we held demonstrations in more than ten public places. Citizen, pupis and undergraduates attend. After that, we wrote articles and blogs, and invited the media to report on our activities. At the same time, we printed three thousand sets of postcards, and the NGOs in different provinces to distribute it to citizens and asked them send it to the Panjin government. More and more people and media began to pay close attention to spotted seals and the project. The Panjin government began to feel the pressure, and started to discuss with the Spotted Seals Protection Volunteer Association and other zoology experts. Finally, the government delayed the project until they could find another way to reduce the risk to the spotted seals.
 
I think we can were able to compel the Panjin Government to delay the project because many institutions worked together. We collected the information about spotted seals, make sure the public can understand and participate in our activities. We also used media to grow their influence. I think another tool is the EIA laws and other relevant laws.
 
In fact, spotted seals are national secondary protection animals, and their habitat is a national nature reserve. In this case, the government didn’t care about spotted seals and planed to build the highway because it would gain large benefits. If the last habitat is destroyed by the project then the spotted seals will became extinct. It violate the Wildlife Protection Law of the People's Republic of China article twenty, in the nature reserve, Banned the catching and other activities that can hinder the breeds of wild animals.
 
It also violates the UDHR Article 19, Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. In the case, lots of media to report our activities, but they almost come from another province. Because the local government forbidden the local media to report it.
 
The government also didn’t want to have the public participation on the EIA. They didn’t give enough information about the risk to the spotted seals, and enough time for the citizen to feedback. This violates The People's Republic of China Environmental Impact Assessment Method article forth Environmental impact assessment have to be objective, open, fair, comprehensive consideration the various environmental factors and ecological system may be affect by the planning or construction project, and provide the scientific information for the decision-making.
 
Animal and human are live in the earth, have the equal rights to have a good life. If the spotted seals can’t live in Liaodong Bay, I think the Environment in Liaodong also very terrible for human beings. So we need to protect the animal, the environment and ourself.