A lot of nature conservation and protection is based on people emphatizing with the protected species. Fish are scaly, slimy. They are not 'cute'. Does this make them less valuable?
Also, when talking with people who have sailed the oceans for decades they will tell you that today the oceans are dead. Huge parts of the Pacific ocean are covered with all kinds of trash. Overfishing, pollution, you name it. So I don't think protection of the seas is a joke, although PETA-folks might be easy to bash.
|