ARTICLE:
The Mediterranean Sea is facing a disastrous crisis. Scientists, both
ichyologists and oceanographers, have been warning politicians for decades,
that this enclosed sea is on the verge of turning into a dead sea...not due
to natural causes, but to human medling and over-exploitation. It is
over-fished and over-sailed, and generally used as a rubbish dump by the
populations of the 22 surrounding countries. It is always more heavily
poluted with oil, solvents, soluble salts of heavy metals, detergents, raw
sewage, plastic bags and metal refuse, abandoned fishing tackle...and every
other imaginable garbage!
Marine biologists are conscious of the fact that aquatic life in the
Mediterranean Sea has been diminishing drastically over the past 55 years.
The second World War dealt the first harsh blow, due to all the ships and
planes that were sunk in these waters. Since then a constant steady rape of
the sea went on, to reach a head at the present.
It is a recognised and established fact that scores of marine life forms
have become extinct form the Mediterranean in the last 100 years, due to
irresponsable human activity. Besides scores of other species are
threathened with elimination. Many fish, like the Sturgeon, have disappeared
completely from the Central Mediterranean Sea although they used to be very
abundant. Many others, like several kinds of Sea Breams and Groupers, are on
the verge of deletion from existance.
The only way to stop this environmental disaster is to reduce shipping and
make it much cleaner, and to cut down on fishing extensively. No more
pollutants must be dumped into the sea, and law enforcement to protect the
environement must become 100% efficient. With luck we might still be in time
to save the remaining marine life-forms for future generations.
If you want to learn more about all the fish species inhabiting the Central
Mediterranean Sea, obtain a copy of the fabulous illustrated encyclopedia:
MEDITERRANEAN SEA FISHES; ISBN 99932-0-118-9 by Rio Sammut, MALTA
BIOGRAPHY:
Mario Joseph Sammut was born in Sliema, Malta, on the 30th December 1947,
son of Frances nee' Borg and Edward Sammut. He recieved his primary
education at the local Government School, and his secondary education at the
Lyceum for boys in Hamrun. On succeeding in his advanced level studies, he
achieved a Ph.C. diploma and a B.Pharm degree at the University of Malta.
As the years rolled by he obtained experiences in many fields of different
pharmaceutical work, such as pharmacy manager, industrial chemist and
medical representative. But his first preference was always teaching
science, particularly biology and chemistry, to willing students. At present
he is married to Doris nee' Debono and has four sons by the names of Daniel,
the eldest, Samuel and David, twins, and Andrew, the youngest. Daniel and
David are medical doctors, the other two are mechanical engineers. Early in
the nineties Mario abbreviated his name to Rio and established permanent
residence at 14, Triq Patri Wistin Born, Marsaskala, MALTA.
Up to some years ago, Rio used to be a member of the society Hbieb tal-Muzew
ta' l-Istorja Naturali ta' Malta, and is at present a member of the Ghaqda
Bahhara Sajjieda u Dilettanti, Marsaskala. In conjunction with Dr. S.
Farrugia Randon, he has already published the extremely well-recieved book
Fishes of Maltese Waters, which he has updated and improved as a proper fish
encyclopedia of the fishes inhabiting the Central Mediterranean Sea.
In his spare time, Rio likes to walk, swim and dive, but his favourite sport
is big game fishing. He has always had interest in diving, fishing,
photography and art. He is an avid reader of books and electronic
information, and an ardent lover of nature. This combination of interests
and activities in his life has led to the accumulation of a wide range of
ichthyological knowledge that he is passing on to future generations in his
masterpieces.
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