Asha de Vos: Why you should care about whale poo

譯者: Tuo Lin 審譯者: Peipei Xiang

In the 1600s, there were so many right whales in Cape Cod Bay

17世紀，在美國東海岸的科德角灣 生活著大量的露脊鯨。

off the east coast of the U.S.

that apparently you could walk across their backs

牠们數量之多，以至於你幾乎都能踩著鯨魚背

從海灣的一端走向另一端。

from one end of the bay to the other.

如今，牠們只剩數百隻，瀕臨滅絕。

Today, they number in the hundreds, and they're endangered.

Like them, many species of whales saw their numbers drastically reduced

同露脊鯨一樣， 許多其他種類的鯨魚數量也急劇下降，

by 200 years of whaling,

正是由於這兩百年來的捕鯨活動。

where they were hunted and killed for their whale meat, oil and whale bone.

這期間鯨魚被獵殺，被獵取鯨魚肉、 鯨魚油，和鯨魚骨。

We only have whales in our waters today

今天我們的海域中之所以還有鯨魚，

because of the Save the Whales movement of the '70s.

是因為70年代的「拯救鯨魚」運動。

It was instrumental in stopping commercial whaling,

該運動有效阻止了商業捕鯨，

and was built on the idea that if we couldn't save whales,

其基本理念是： 如果我們連鯨魚都拯救不了，

what could we save?

我們還能拯救什么？

It was ultimately a test of our political ability

這實質上考驗了我們的政治能力，

to halt environmental destruction.

阻止環境破壞的政治能力。

So in the early '80s, there was a ban on commercial whaling

這項運動的一個成果就是 1980年代初

that came into force as a result of this campaign.

商業捕鯨禁令的頒布。

Whales in our waters are still low in numbers, however,

不過，我們的海域中鯨魚數量仍舊稀少，

because they do face a range of other human-induced threats.

因為鯨魚還面臨一系列 其他的人類造成的威脅。

Unfortunately, many people still think that whale conservationists like myself

很不幸，很多人仍覺得 我這樣的鯨魚保護人士

do what we do only because these creatures are charismatic and beautiful.

是出於欣賞鯨魚的魅力 和美麗而保護鯨魚。

This is actually a disservice,

這種思維其實會起反作用，

because whales are ecosystem engineers.

因為鯨魚是生態系統的工程師。

They help maintain the stability and health of the oceans,

牠們幫助維護海洋的穩定和健康，

and even provide services to human society.

甚至還能為人類社會做貢獻。

So let's talk about why saving whales is critical

讓我們來談談為什麼拯救鯨魚

對保證海洋的自我調節很重要。

to the resiliency of the oceans.

It boils down to two main things:

歸根結底是兩個主要的東西：

whale poop and rotting carcasses.

鯨魚糞便和腐爛遺骸。

As whales dive to the depths to feed and come up to the surface to breathe,

當鯨魚潛入深海捕食 然後浮上海面呼吸時，

they actually release these enormous fecal plumes.

牠們排放出巨量的排泄流。

This whale pump, as it's called,

這種所謂的鯨魚泵

actually brings essential limiting nutrients from the depths

能將深海中的稀缺關鍵養分

to the surface waters where they stimulate the growth of phytoplankton,

帶到水表，促進浮游生物的生長，

which forms the base of all marine food chains.

而浮游生物是一切海洋食物鏈的基礎。

So really, having more whales in the oceans pooping

所以，讓更多的鯨魚在海洋中排泄

is really beneficial to the entire ecosystem.

會對整個生態系統都有好處。

Whales are also known to undertake some of the longest migrations of all mammals.

鯨魚還是遷徙距離最遠的哺乳動物之一。

Gray whales off America migrate 16,000 kilometers

灰鯨每年遷徙1萬6千公里

between productive feeding areas and less productive calving, or birthing, areas

來回在營養豐富的捕食水域和

營養欠缺的繁殖水域之間。

and back every year.

As they do so, they transport fertilizer in the form of their feces

在此過程中，牠們的糞便作為肥料

from places that have it to places that need it.

被從養分富饒的地方 運送到養分稀缺的地方。

So clearly, whales are really important in nutrient cycling,

很顯然，鯨魚在海洋的 營養循環中起重要作用，

both horizontally and vertically, through the oceans.

無論是縱向還是橫向的營養循環。

But what's really cool is that they're also really important after they're dead.

但非常有意思的是， 牠們死後也起重要作用。

Whale carcasses are some of the largest form of detritus

鯨魚遺骸是海平面下最大的腐質之一，

to fall from the ocean's surface, and they're called whale fall.

它們被稱作鯨魚下沉物。

As these carcasses sink,

當遺骸下沉時，

they provide a feast to some 400-odd species,

它們給400個物種提供了盛宴，

including the eel-shaped, slime-producing hagfish.

其中包括鰻魚狀的、產生粘液的盲鰻。

So over the 200 years of whaling,

所以，超過200年的捕鯨，

when we were busy killing and removing these carcasses from the oceans,

我們在匆忙殺戮， 從海洋中移除這些遺骸的同時，

we likely altered the rate and geographic distribution of these whale falls

我們也很可能改變了這些鯨魚下沉物的

產生率和地理分布，

that would descend into deep oceans,

and as a result, probably led to a number of extinctions

而這很可能導致了一些

of species that were most specialized

專門食用和依靠 這種遺骸生存的生物的滅絕。

and dependent on these carcasses for their survival.

Whale carcasses are also known to transport about 190,000 tons of carbon,

鯨魚的遺骸也能運輸約19萬噸的碳，

which is the equivalent of that produced

這相當於

by 80,000 cars per year

8萬輛汽車

一年從大氣到海洋的碳排放。

from the atmosphere to the deep oceans,

and the deep oceans are what we call "carbon sinks,"

深海被我們稱為「碳池」，

because they trap and hold excess carbon from the atmosphere,

因為那裡能鎖住和存儲大氣中多餘的碳，

and therefore help to delay global warming.

從而幫助減緩全球暖化。

Sometimes these carcasses also wash up on beaches

有時這些遺骸還被沖刷上海岸，

and provide a meal to a number of predatory species on land.

為陸地上的一些捕獵生物提供食物。

The 200 years of whaling was clearly detrimental

這二百年的捕鯨行為破壞巨大，

and caused a reduction in the populations of whales

它導致鯨魚數量減少了

between 60 to 90 percent.

60%到90%。

Clearly, the Save the Whales movement

拯救鯨魚行動

was instrumental in preventing commercial whaling from going on,

在阻止商業捕鯨中確實起了關鍵作用，

but we need to revise this.

但我們還需要做一些改進。

We need to address the more modern, pressing problems that these whales face

我們需要應對如今鯨魚所面臨的

in our waters today.

更當代，更緊迫的問題。

Amongst other things, we need to stop them

其中，我們要防止鯨魚

from getting plowed down by container ships when they're in their feeding areas,

在餵養水域中被運輸船撞死，

and stop them from getting entangled in fishing nets

還要防止鯨魚在海洋上游蕩時

as they float around in the ocean.

被漁網纏住。

We also need to learn to contextualize our conservation messages,

我們還需學會將我們的動物保護資訊具體化，

so people really understand the true ecosystem value of these creatures.

以便人們能夠真正了解 這些生物的實際生態價值。

So, let's save the whales again,

讓我們再次拯救鯨魚，

but this time, let's not just do it for their sake.

然而這次，我們這樣做不僅是為鯨魚，

Let's also do it for ours.

也是為我們自己！

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）