I need to borrow your shoulder to cry on, then ask for some action.

What bugs me is all the trash and miscellaneous marine debris floating around the ocean after the first heavy rains of the season, coming right up soon.

Marine debris, urban runoff and spills are the primary stressors of our marine environment in my lengthy first-hand experience as a local sea captain. Those are the real problems for us to resolve.

Extreme protectionists talk about fishing as a stressor in their desire to create massive closures to lock good people out of sections of the ocean, however our fisheries management is tried, true, and has brought species after species back to abundance.

Fisheries management has sustainability as its primary goal, and it is the wise goal. We do not need closures.

We all (or at least most of us) care about the ocean and collectively we support efforts to clean up and heal the ocean. For example, many good folks turn out for beach cleanup days.

At the Channel Islands we have beach cleanup days and the commercial fishers as well as recreational fishers turn out to make it happen. We work closely with staff from Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and National Park Service.

Sadly, an alarming number of people throughout our coastal communities don’t seem to grasp the concept that debris and urban runoff damage the sea, the shoreline, the critters and sea plants. It begins with the unthinking and uncaring act of tossing trash and pouring out chemicals.

The other day I saw a man tossing his pile of yard rakings into Mission Creek. Sure, plenty of leaves fall naturally into the watershed, but he should not have added to the accumulation instead of bagging his leaves and yard debris (which looked to include some rubbish).

I spot trash tossed nearly everywhere. What really worries me is what I can’t see, such as pesticides, herbicides and other scary ‘cides. It all damages the ocean environment and kills flora and fauna.

Our wonderful local volunteers help tremendously with the debris problem. Yet, we are not yet winning this important battle to help Ma Nature remain healthy and vibrant.

Below is my wish list. Can you add to it?

~  Stop dumping debris into our creek beds.

~  Use fewer pesticides, herbicides, etc., and never pour out any excess.

~  Homeless campers leave campsites clean.

~  More trash/recycle cans throughout our town to make it easier to discard stuff.

~  Larger campaigns for local creek cleanups.

~  A public awareness campaign to keep the problem on our social radar.

~  Expand “Community Service” cleanup efforts from roadsides to creeks.

~  Create financial incentives perhaps including supervised programs for homeless and low-income folks (who are already providing a valuable service by picking up sellable recyclables) to pick up and turn in roadside and creek-side debris they find while they work and travel.