Ukuqapha Okulandelayo:

Eminyakeni eyisikhombisa edlule, salililela ukufa kwabangu-11 abashona ekuqhumeni kwe-Deepwater Horizon, futhi sabuka ngokwesaba okukhulu njengoba umfudlana kawoyela ugeleza uphuma ekujuleni kweGulf of Mexico ubheke kwamanye amanzi amaningi kakhulu ezwekazi lethu. Njenganamuhla, kwakuyintwasahlobo futhi ukwehlukahlukana kwempilo kwakucebile kakhulu.  

I-Atlantic bluefin tuna yayithuthele lapho ukuze izozalela futhi yayisesikhathini sonyaka sokuzala. Amahlengethwa e-bottlenose abelethe ekuqaleni kobusika futhi ngaleyo ndlela kokubili abasha nabadala babonakala, ikakhulukazi e-Bataria Bay, enye yezindawo ezithinteke kakhulu. Kwakuyinkathi ephezulu yokuzalela amavuba ansundu. Izixhobo ze-oyster ezinempilo, ezikhiqizayo zazitholakala kalula. Izikebhe zama-shrimp zaziphumile zibamba insundu nezinye izimfanzi. Izinyoni ezifudukayo zazima ezindaweni ezingamaxhaphozi lapho ziya ezindaweni zazo zokuzalela ehlobo. Isibalo esiyingqayizivele semikhomo ye-Bryde's (ebizwa ngokuthi i-Broo-dus) edla ekujuleni kwe-Gulf, okuwukuphela konyaka ohlala i-baleen whale e-Gulf.  

Ekugcineni, indawo yokuhlala ye-tuna ehlanganiswe ngamafutha iyodwa yayingamamayela-skwele ayizigidi ezingu-3.1. UDkt. Barbara Block we-Tag-A-Giant kanye ne-Stanford University uthe, "Inani labantu be-bluefin tuna e-Gulf of Mexico belilokhu lizabalaza ukwakha kabusha amazinga anempilo iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-30," kusho uBlock. “Lezi zinhlanzi ziyinani eliyingqayizivele ngokofuzo, futhi ngenxa yalokho izingcindezi ezifana nokuchitheka kukawoyela we-Deepwater Horizon, ngisho noma kuncane, kungase kube nemiphumela yezinga labantu. Kunzima ukukala ukuqashwa eGulf of Mexico ngemva kuka-2010, njengoba izinhlanzi zithatha isikhathi eside ukungena endaweni yokudoba ngenjongo yokuthengisa lapho kubhekwa khona ukuqapha, ngakho-ke sihlala sikhathazekile.”¹

I-NOAA inqume ukuthi ingaphansi kuka-100 imikhomo kaBryde esele eGulf of Mexico. Nakuba zivikelwe ngaphansi kwe-Marine Mammal Protection Act, i-NOAA ifuna ukufakwa kuhlu okwengeziwe ngaphansi kwe-Endangered Species Act ye-Gulf of Mexico Bryde's whales.

Kubonakala kunokukhathazeka okuqhubekayo mayelana nokutholwa kwezimfanzi, izixhobo ze-oyster, nezinye izinhlobo ezithakaselwayo zezohwebo nezokuzijabulisa zamanzi anosawoti. “Ukugcotshwa” kotshani basolwandle kanye nezindawo ezingamaxhaphozi kubulale uhlaza olugxilisa inzika, okushiya izindawo ezisengozini yokuguguleka, kwabhebhethekisa umkhuba osenesikhathi eside. Amazinga okuzala amahlengethwa e-Bottlenose abonakala ehle kakhulu—futhi ukufa kwamahlengethwa avuthiwe kubonakala kuphakeme. Kafushane, eminyakeni eyisikhombisa kamuva, iGulf of Mexico lisalulama kakhulu.

Amakhulu ezigidi zamaRandi athululela esifundeni sase-Gulf emalini yenhlawulo neyokukhokha ekhokhelwa i-BP ukuze kubuyiselwe amanani ezomnotho nawemvelo e-Gulf. Siyazi ukuthi ukuqapha okuqhubekayo kubalulekile ekuqondeni kwethu umthelela ogcwele walezi zinhlobo zezehlakalo eziyinhlekelele kanye nemizamo yethu yokubuyisela amasistimu. Abaholi bomphakathi wendawo bayaqonda ukuthi nakuba ukuthutheleka kwezimali kubaluleke kakhulu futhi kuye kwasiza kakhulu, inani eliphelele leGulf nezinhlelo zalo akulona lokho okwakuyikho eminyakeni engu-7 edlule. Futhi yingakho kufanele siqaphele ukugunyazwa kwanoma yiziphi izinqamuleli ezinqubweni ezasungulwa ukuze zizame ukuvimbela ukuqhunyiswa okunjalo ukuthi kungenzeki futhi. Ukulahleka kwezimpilo zabantu kanye nemiphumela yesikhathi eside emiphakathini yabantu neyolwandle ngokufanayo akufanele inzuzo yesikhashana yezomnotho yabambalwa ngezindleko zezigidi.

¹ UDkt. Barbara Block, Stanford News, 30 Sept 2016, http://news.stanford.edu/2016/09/30/deepwater-horizon-oil-spill-impacted-bluefin-tuna-spawning-habitat-gulf-mexico/