Izindaba Zomkhoma

Ulwandle luyindawo engabonakali njengoba kusekuningi okusamele kufundwe ngalo. Izindlela zokuphila zemikhomo emikhulu nazo azibonakali—kuyamangaza lokho esingakakwazi ngalezi zidalwa ezinhle kakhulu. Esikwaziyo ukuthi ulwandle akuselona olwabo, futhi ngezindlela eziningi ikusasa labo libukeka limfiliba. Ngesonto lokugcina likaSepthemba, ngaba neqhaza ekuboneni ikusasa eliqhakazile emhlanganweni wezinsuku ezintathu mayelana “Nezindaba Zomkhomo: Okwedlule, Okwamanje Nekusasa” obuhlelwe yiLibrary of Congress kanye ne-International Fund for Animal Welfare.

Ingxenye yalo mhlangano yaxhumanisa abantu bomdabu base-Arctic (kanye nokuxhumana kwabo nemikhomo) emlandweni wesiko lokudoba imikhomo yaseYankee eNew England. Eqinisweni, kwaze kwafika ekwethuleni inzalo yokaputeni abathathu abadoba imikhomo ababenemindeni efanayo ehlala eMassachusetts nase-Alaska. Ngokokuqala ngqa, amalungu emindeni emithathu evela eNantucket, Martha's Vineyard naseNew Bedford ahlangana nabazala babo (bemindeni emithathu efanayo) abavela emiphakathini yaseBarrow kanye nasethambekeni elisenyakatho ye-Alaska. Bengilindele ukuthi lo mhlangano wokuqala wemindeni ehambisanayo uzoba nzima, kodwa esikhundleni salokho bajabulele ithuba lokubuka amaqoqo ezithombe futhi babheke ukufana komndeni kumajamo wezindlebe noma amakhala.

Uma sibheka okwedlule, siphinde safunda indaba emangalisayo yeMpi Yombango yomkhankaso we-CSS Shenandoah ngokumelene nabadayisi bemikhomo be-Union e-Bering Sea nase-Arctic njengomzamo wokunqamula uwoyela womkhomo owawugcoba izimboni zaseNyakatho. Ukaputeni womkhumbi owakhiwe ngamaNgisi i-Shenandoah watshela labo abathatha njengeziboshwa ukuthi i-Confederacy yayihlangene nemikhomo ngokumelene nezitha zabo ezifayo. Akekho owabulawa, futhi imikhomo eminingi “yasindiswa” isenzo sikakaputeni sokuphazamisa yonke inkathi yokudotshwa kwemikhomo. Imikhumbi yabathengisi engamashumi amathathu nesishiyagalombili, iningi lemikhumbi yaseNew Bedford yabanjwa, futhi yacwiliswa noma yaboshwa.

UMichael Moore, uzakwethu waseWoods Hole Oceanographic Institution, uphawule ukuthi ukuzingela kwanamuhla kokuziphilisa e-Arctic akunikezi imakethe yezohwebo yomhlaba wonke. Ukuzingela okunjalo akukho esikalini senkathi yokudotshwa kwemikhomo yaseYankee, futhi ngokuqinisekile akufani nemizamo yezimboni yokudotshwa kwemikhomo yekhulu lama-20 eyakwazi ukubulala imikhomo eminingi ngeminyaka emibili nje kuphela njengoba kwaba nayo yonke iminyaka engu-150 yokudotshwa kwemikhomo yaseYankee.

Njengengxenye yomhlangano wethu wezindawo ezintathu, savakashela isizwe saseWampanoag eSivinini sikaMartha. Ababesimemile basipha ukudla okumnandi. Lapho, sezwa indaba kaMoshup, umdondoshiya ekwazi ukubamba imikhomo ngezandla zayo ingagqokile futhi iyibhulazele emaweni ukuze inikeze abantu bayo ukudla. Ngokuthakazelisayo, wabikezela nangokufika kwabelungu futhi wanika isizwe sakhe ithuba lokukhetha ukuhlala phakathi kwabantu, noma ukuba imikhomo. Lena indaba yemvelaphi yabo ye-orca eyizihlobo zabo.
 

Ekubhekeni kwamanje, abahlanganyeli be-workshop baphawule ukuthi izinga lokushisa lolwandle liyakhuphuka, i-chemistry yalo iyashintsha, iqhwa e-Arctic liyancipha futhi imisinga iyashintsha. Lawo mashifu asho ukuthi ukudla kwezilwane ezincelisayo zasolwandle kuyashintshashintsha—ngokwendawo nangenkathi yonyaka. Sibona imfucumfucu eminingi yasolwandle namapulasitiki olwandle, umsindo oshubile futhi ongapheli, kanye nokunqwabelana okubalulekile nokwesabisayo kobuthi ezilwaneni zasolwandle. Ngenxa yalokho, imikhomo kufanele ihambe olwandle oluya lumatasa, olunomsindo futhi olunobuthi. Eminye imisebenzi yabantu yandisa ingozi yabo. Namuhla siyabona ukuthi bayalinyazwa, noma babulawe yiziteleka zemikhumbi kanye nokubanjwa kwezimpahla zokudoba. Eqinisweni, umkhomo ofile osengozini yokushabalala watholakala ubhajwe ezinsizeni zokudoba eGulf of Maine lapho nje umhlangano wethu uqala. Sivumile ukusekela imizamo yokuthuthukisa imizila yemikhumbi kanye nokuthola izinto zokudoba ezilahlekile futhi sinciphise usongo lwalokhu kufa okubuhlungu okuhamba kancane.

Imikhomo okuthiwa i-Baleen whale, njengemikhomo elungile, incike ezilwaneni ezincane ezaziwa ngokuthi izimvemvane zasolwandle (ama-pteropods). Le mikhomo inomshini okhethekile emilonyeni yayo ukuze ikwazi ukusefa ukudla kwalezi zilwane. Lezi zilwane ezincane zisongelwa ngokuqondile ukushintsha kwamakhemikhali olwandle okwenza kube nzima ngazo ukwakha amagobolondo azo, umkhuba obizwa ngokuthi i-ocean acidification. Kanti, ukwesaba ukuthi imikhomo ayikwazi ukuzivumelanisa ngokushesha nemithombo yokudla emisha (uma ikhona ngempela), nokuthi izoba izilwane isimiso semvelo esingeke isakwazi ukuyinikeza ukudla.
 

Zonke izinguquko kumakhemikhali, izinga lokushisa, nezizinda zokudla zenza ulwandle lube uhlelo olungasekeli kakhulu kulezi zilwane zasolwandle. Uma ucabanga emuva endabeni ye-Wampanoag kaMoshup, ingabe labo abakhetha ukuba yi-orcas benze ukukhetha okufanele?

Ngosuku lokugcina njengoba sibuthene emnyuziyamu waseNew Bedford, ngabuza wona kanye lo mbuzo ngesikhathi sephaneli yami ngekusasa. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, uma sibheka ikusasa, ukwanda kwenani labantu kuzobonisa ukwanda kwezimoto, izinto zokudoba, nokwengezwa kwezimayini ezisogwini lolwandle, izintambo ezengeziwe zokuxhumana ngocingo, futhi ngokuqinisekile nengqalasizinda yezofuyo yasemanzini eyengeziwe. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, singabona ubufakazi bokuthi sifunda indlela yokunciphisa umsindo (ubuchwepheshe bemikhumbi ethule), indlela yokuqondisa kabusha imikhumbi ukuze kugwenywe izindawo ezinemikhomo, kanye nendlela yokwenza amagiya angenamandla okubambeka (futhi njenge okokugcina ukuthi ungayihlenga kanjani futhi uhlukanise ngempumelelo imikhomo). Senza ucwaningo olungcono, futhi sifundisa kangcono abantu ngazo zonke izinto esingayenza ukunciphisa ukulimala kwemikhomo. Futhi, ku-Paris COP ngoZibandlela odlule sagcina sifinyelele isivumelwano esithembisayo sokunciphisa ukukhishwa kwamagesi abamba ukushisa, okuwumbangela omkhulu wokulahlekelwa indawo yokuhlala yezilwane ezincelisayo zasolwandle. 

Kwaba kuhle ukuhlangana nozakwethu nabangane bakudala base-Alaska, lapho izinguquko zesimo sezulu zithinta zonke izici zokuphila kwansuku zonke nokuvikeleka kokudla. Bekumangalisa ukuzwa izindaba, ukwethula abantu abanenhloso efanayo (ngisho nokhokho), nokubuka iziqalo zokuxhumana okusha phakathi komphakathi obanzi wabantu abathanda futhi baphilele ulwandle. Likhona ithemba, futhi kuningi esingakwenza sonke ngokubambisana.