As a visionary and industry leader in the food sector, John Blazevich introduced and developed innovative products for major food service and retail customers. Now retired, John Blazevich’s interests include the early recovery of nearly extinct marine animals.
Marine life is becoming more susceptible to harm and even extinction as the human population grows. In addition, stressors such as climate change, pollution, and overfishing pose a significant threat to fish, turtles, shrimp, crabs, and other sea creatures. Consequently, restoration and recovery efforts are urgently needed to protect them.
Although restoring an aquatic ecosystem is a huge undertaking, it can be possible with planning and effort. One common approach to restoration is to regulate fishing. Some conservationists feel that fishing not intended to meet the basic nutritional needs, such as recreational and destructive fishing, should be avoided. Mariculture must also embrace the production of filter-feeder organisms and macroalgae, among other practices, to minimize fishing and allow marine life to recover.
More importantly, integrating recent advances in ecology theory and adopting common approaches can go a long way toward preserving marine life. These involve cessation of negative impacts and restoring the connectivity and diversity of habitats. By implementing even minor restoration efforts in degraded ecosystems, marine life can survive extinction.
