As a Baltimore resident and bird lover, I care about the health of the Patapsco River and the Chesapeake Bay. When I visit the Inner Harbor with my family, I lookout for local birds like Caspian Terns, Laughing Gulls and Wood Ducks. These birds rely on healthy fish populations and clean water, just like we do. But today, there are 300 million fewer seabirds than there were in 1950, representing a loss of nearly 70%.
A new Audubon study, “Survival by Degrees: 389 Bird Species on the Brink,” finds this number will only increase if no climate action is taken. Due to rising temperatures and overfishing, tiny fish such as anchovies and menhaden are also rapidly disappearing at an alarming rate. On Nov. 15, U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman is hosting a Mid-Atlantic fisheries listening session from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the National Aquarium Animal Rescue Center. I’m proud that we have an opportunity to work with members of Congress in strengthening the Magnuson-Stevens Act so Maryland’s watermen and seabird populations not only survive, but thrive (“The Delmarva Peninsula a model for land conservation?” Sept. 30).
Jaime D. Sigaran, Baltimore
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