Restoration projects are vital to returning damaged ecosystems back to a healthier, safer state. But restoration projects, intended to protect ecosystems after human encroachment, should be good for all species involved -- not just some. So why is the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority proposing a plan that could cause hundreds of intelligent, social dolphins to suffer and die?
Sign now to demand the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority halt plans to divert freshwater and sediment into Barataria Bay, which will kill dolphins!
The plan is to divert large amounts of water and sediment from the Mississippi River directly in Barataria Bay to restore coastal ecosystems that naturally offer flood protection for coastal cities. But that plan will pose fundamental risks to dolphins in the meantime, causing low salinity in their home waters, which can trigger "severe psychological reactions." In fact, according to scientists, this low salinity can cause the animals to develop extreme lesions on their skin and become painfully inflamed as they die.
Dolphins inhabiting the Gulf of Mexico have suffered tremendously in the past twelve years. The BP Oil Spill exposed dolphins to a slew of horrific health problems -- many bottlenose dolphins died directly or within months of the disaster, and the population has not fully recovered. Local populations are estimated to be at just over half of what they were before BP's negligence led to one of the worst oil spills in human history.
But even the dolphins that managed to survive are not well. Many have developed chronic lung problems, including an illness similar to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in humans, as a direct result of the spill.
So why is the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority not scrapping this plan, which will obviously hurt and kill even more dolphins in the region? The possible collateral damage is far too great. This project must be halted until a safer, more humane alternative can be found.
Restoration is important, but we must take care to reduce or avoid individual species in the process. Sign the petition now if you agree!
