Do not be surprised if you go to Bredene in the coming days. Greenpeace has indeed unveiled an installation representing a whale six meters long. Action has the objective of raising awareness of threats that mining in deep waters in ocean life weigh.
Greenpeace wishes to inform visitors and passers -by to the threats to the ocean but also to arouse wonder for marine life. “Our blue whale brings us closer to the history of the ocean and its magnificent inhabitants. The ocean may seem far from us, but we can do a lot here to protect it, ”says Ruth-Marie Henckes, head of the Ocean campaign at Greenpeace Belgium.
The installation, designed by the company Fisheye, denounces the mining in deep waters. “It is an emerging industry that extracts metals from the seabed, often in ecologically fragile areas,” explains the organization. “If this industry is authorized to start, it will disturb food chains and will seriously endanger the lives of whales among others, warn more and more scientists.”
“Whales depend strongly on their hearing to orient themselves, find food and communicate. Constant noise and dust clouds associated with mining in deep waters would have disastrous consequences, ”adds Ruth-Marie Henckes.
More than 950 scientists call for a moratorium on mining in deep waters, while 37 countries support this call. More than 4 million people around the world have already signed the Greenpeace petition.
Greenpeace’s blue whale will remain in Bredene until the end of August. She will then move to Ostend.
