Indlela eNtsha yeeLwandle

Ababhali: Mark J. Spalding
Igama loPapasho: Imagazini yeNdalo. Matshi/Aprili 2011 INkupho.
Umhla wokupapashwa: NgoLwesibini, Matshi 1, 2011

Ngomhla we-19 kaJulayi, i-2010, uMongameli u-Obama wakhupha uMyalelo oLawulayo othetha ngesidingo solawulo oluhlangeneyo lolwandle, kwaye oko kuchaza "ukucwangciswa kwendawo yolwandle" (MSP) njengeyona nqwelo iphambili yokufika apho. Umyalelo wavela kwiingcebiso ze-bipartisan ze-Interagency Task Force-kwaye ukususela ekubhengezweni, amashishini amaninzi anxulumene nolwandle kunye nemibutho yokusingqongileyo baye baphuthuma ukuba baphumelele i-MSP njengesiqalo sexesha elitsha kulondolozo lolwandle. 

Ngokuqinisekileyo iinjongo zabo zinyanisekile: Izinto ezenziwa ngabantu ziye zathwaxa iilwandlekazi zehlabathi. Kukho intaphane yeengxaki ekufuneka ziconjululwe: ukuloba ngokugqithisileyo, ukutshatyalaliswa kwendawo ehlala kuyo, imiphumo yokutshintsha kwemozulu, nokwanda komlinganiselo wetyhefu kwizilwanyana ukubala nje ezimbalwa. Njengobuninzi bomgaqo-nkqubo wethu wolawulo lwezixhobo zokusebenza, inkqubo yethu yolawulo lolwandle ayophukanga kodwa iqhekekile, yakhiwe yaziingceba kwii-arhente zomdibaniso ezingama-20, kuquka iNkonzo yeSizwe yokuLoba eLwandle, iUS Fish & Wildlife Service, iArhente yoKhuseleko lokuSingqongileyo yase-US kunye neyangaphambili. Inkonzo yoLawulo lweziMbiwa (yahlulwe yaba zii-arhente ezimbini ukususela ekuchithekeni kweoli yeBP kwiGulf of Mexico). Into engekhoyo sisikhokelo esinengqiqo, ulwakhiwo oluhlanganisiweyo lokwenza izigqibo, umbono odibeneyo wobudlelwane bethu neelwandle ngoku nakwixesha elizayo. 

Nangona kunjalo, ukubiza i-MSP njengesisombululo kulo mgxobhozo unomaleko kudala iingxaki ezininzi njengoko zisombulula. I-MSP sisixhobo esivelisa iimephu zendlela esisebenzisa ngayo iilwandlekazi; ukuzama ngeenzame ezilungelelanisiweyo phakathi kwee-arhente zokulandelela ukuba ulwandle lusetyenziswa njani kwaye yeyiphi indawo yokuhlala kunye nemithombo yendalo eseleyo nangaliphi na ixesha. Ithemba le-MSP kukuhlanganisa abasebenzisi bolwandle—ukuphepha ungquzulwano ngelixa igcina inkqubo yendalo icocekile. Kodwa i-MSP ayisosicwangciso solawulo. Ayizimiseli ngokwayo inkqubo yokumisela ukusetyenziswa okubeka phambili iimfuno zezilwanyana zaselwandle, kubandakanywa iindlela ezikhuselekileyo zokufuduka, ukubonelela ngokutya, iindawo zokuhlala ze-nursery okanye ukuziqhelanisa nokutshintsha komgangatho wolwandle, ubushushu okanye ikhemistri. Ayivelisi umgaqo-nkqubo odibeneyo wolwandle okanye isombulule izinto eziphambili kwi-arhente ephikisanayo kunye nokuchasana okusemthethweni okwandisa amandla entlekele. Njengehamile, iMSP sisixhobo nje, kwaye isitshixo sokusebenza kwayo sikwisicelo sayo. 

Ukuchitheka kweoyile ye-Deepwater Horizon kwiGulf yaseMexico ngentwasahlobo ka-2010 kufanele ibe yeyona nto iphambili ekuvumeni ingozi ebangelwa lulawulo olunganelanga kunye nokungathintelwa kokusetyenziswa kolwandle lwethu. Nanjengoko kwakusoyikeka ukubukela ugqabhuko-dubulo lokuqala kunye ne-gyre ehlala ikhula ye-oyile ethokozayo, kufanele kuphawulwe ukuba into esinayo kwimeko ye-Deepwater kanye kanye yile nto besinayo kweyona ntlekele yamva nje yemigodi yase-West Virginia, kwaye ubungakanani obukhulu, ngokusilela kwelevees eNew Orleans ngo-2005: ukusilela ekunyanzeliseni nasekuphumezeni ugcino kunye neemfuno zokhuseleko phantsi kwemithetho ekhoyo. Sele sinemithetho elungileyo ezincwadini—asiyilandeli nje. Nokuba inkqubo ye-MSP ivelisa izisombululo kunye nemigaqo-nkqubo ekrelekrele, ziyakunceda ngantoni ukuba asiziphumezi ngokucokisekileyo nangendlela ethembekileyo? 

Iimephu ze-MSP ziya kusebenza kuphela ukuba zigcina ubutyebi bendalo; bonisa iinkqubo zendalo (ezifana nokufuduka kunye nokuzala) kwaye uzinike kuqala; ukulungiselela iimfuno eziguqukayo zeentlobo zolwandle kumanzi ashushu; ukubandakanya abachaphazelekayo kwinkqubo eselubala yokugqiba ngendlela yokulawula ulwandle; kunye nokudala ukuthanda kwezopolitiko ukunyanzelisa imithetho nemimiselo yethu ekhoyo yobugosa baselwandle. Ngokwayo, ukucwangciswa kwendawo yaselwandle akuyi kusindisa intlanzi enye, i-whale okanye ihlengethwa. Le ngcamango yathanjiswa ngenxa yokuba ibonakala ngathi isenzo kwaye ibonakala ixazulula iingxabano phakathi kokusetyenziswa kwabantu, okwenza wonke umntu azive elungile, ukuba nje asibuzi abamelwane bethu abahlala elwandle ukuba bacinga ntoni. 

Iimephu ziimephu. Ziyindlela elungileyo yokubonisa, kodwa azinakuthatha indawo yesenzo. Bakwabeka emngciphekweni omkhulu wokusebenzisa izinto eziyingozi njengamaqabane asemthethweni kwizinto ezihlala elwandle. Kuphela sisicwangciso esine-nuanced kunye ne-multi-pronged, sisebenzisa sonke isixhobo esinokusiphuhlisa, siya kusinceda siphucule impilo yeelwandle ngokuphucula indlela esilawula ngayo ukusetyenziswa kwabantu kunye nobudlelwane bethu nolwandle. 

UMARKO J. SPALDING ngumongameli weThe Ocean Foundation eWashington, DC

Jonga iCandelo