Comments on: West Coast Killer Whales Are Poisoned by Pollution-Tainted Killer Salmon

By: Mike Roberts

Mike Roberts — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:58:03 +0000

Either that, or crazy advancements in technology. :P

By: Mike Roberts

Mike Roberts — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:48:35 +0000

Not only do we need to clean up our massive mess. We need to create a sustainable lifestyle that doesn’t harm our ecosystem. For all of our intelligence, we lack wisdom. It doesn’t matter whether or not WE eat the contaminated salmon. The sum of all life on this planet is a single organism. When we harm just one piece, we harm part of ourselves. What other living thing does the damage we do?

Drastic cultural and lifestyle changes are needed. The first question is: “Can we change?” The next would be “How?”. And then we need to act. I’d say for one thing that any chemical that has an adverse effect on life shouldn’t be used. Unless it can be completely contained. But as any can see, we can’t contain our mess just yet.

By: Juergen Barth

Juergen Barth — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 23:50:37 +0000

I agree with Roger on most of his arguments, he’s right. But forget about about what happened 60 years ago, mother nature has dealt with that. nowadays polution has increased in such an inpropriate manner it cannot be dealt with.
We simply cannot clean up the oceans, by what we’re messing them up so easily.
Pierre, your oulook might be pretty much short on sight, if consider man’s problem to have trouble with eating contaminated salmon (solution is simple – don’t eat salmon), but this sign is a sign of a eco system collapsing…
The hunter gets killed of the prey!
Now look at us humans, we are the hunters, we are the end of the nuriture chain, we will consume all our own waste…
But we should try to avoid contaminated salmon… o_O

By: Roger Whitacre

Roger Whitacre — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 09:27:15 +0000

I hear of all the industrial waste and “Great Garbage Patch” in the Pacific Ocean…but what about all those U-boats we sunk in the Atlantic 60 years ago? Didn’t they carry quicksilver in their ammunition holds? Plain and simple: we need to clean up the Oceans and stop raking the bottom for Crabs and Shrimp! Think with your head not with your stomachs.

By: Pierre

Pierre — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 09:49:11 +0000

I doubt very much that we, as humans, have anything to fear from consuming salmon. If you read the article carefully, it says that killer whales live up to 80-90 years and it is throughout those 80-90 years of consuming tons of salmon that they have become that poisoned. Throughout our lifespan however, we would only consume a minuscule quantity of salmon and have much less of a risk of becoming subject to contamination.

By: Burr

Burr — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 02:47:48 +0000

Way too many people on the planet!!

By: Dan

Dan — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 01:22:05 +0000

I know that the U.S. has banned PCBs, but what about the rest of the world? DDT was banned many years ago in the U.S., but it is still used extensively in Africa and has showed up for years all over the world even Antarctica.

By: Adam

Adam — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 21:54:16 +0000

I think we can assume that the salmon are probably not safe for people to eat. The better questions to ask ourselves, however, are 1. why do we as humans continue to be carefree about our destruction of everything we touch, and 2. how can we change this and make the world a better place?

By: Tara

Tara — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 19:18:56 +0000

Yes, that was one of my first questions after reading this too…what about all the salmon that people eat? Is it safe to eat?
I know this article is about the killer whales and how they are being polluted by the salmon, but it makes you wonder why the salmon is still on the market if it is so polluted?
As far as the killer whales – I hope there is something that can be done to help them!

By: Rahsaan Chisolm

Rahsaan Chisolm — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 13:41:44 +0000

Misspelled “varieties.” Sorry.

By: Rahsaan Chisolm

Rahsaan Chisolm — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 13:41:13 +0000

Granted humans don’t eat nearly the amount of Chinook, but this does pose questions about the safety of this Pacific breed. Especially, since Wild Alaskan Salmon from the Pacific (Chinook included) are touted as being nearly contaminant-free as opposed to most of the farmed varities in the Atlantic.