Posted by The Wild Geese, 6mo Edited
Growing up in Helvick County Waterford Ireland 🇮🇪 part one of five 1-5 Following in my ancestors’ footsteps, I became a commercial captain at a young age. It didn’t take long for me to notice a troubling issue: the overwhelming trash in our oceans. It was heartbreaking to see fishing vessels pumping bilge water and black oil into the harbor, marring our beautiful coastline. As a child, I spent days off school on the boat with my father or grandfather, witnessing firsthand how the ocean changed. Back then, plastic was rare; you might see a stray piece. Dutch and French trawlers fished just six miles off our coast, and glass bottles washed ashore, often breaking into beautiful sea glass. Over time, glass became less of a concern compared to the rise of plastic. When I emigrated to the United States 🇺🇸 in the late ’90s, I continued my fishing career on both coasts. What shocked me was the sheer amount of plastic in the ocean. Even in the remote Bering Sea, plastic was everywhere. My son often asked, “Dad, why is there so much plastic in the ocean?” This haunting question left me struggling to provide answers. Ultimately, I explained that ignorance was a major culprit—if people discarded waste and couldn’t see it anymore, they thought it wasn’t a problem. My fishing career was rewarding. The waters around the U.S. were rich with seafood, sustainably managed—so different from the struggles back home. Life was good; money flowed in, and my children were growing. My oldest son was eager to follow in the family business, joining me on the boat during school vacations. But then, tragedy struck. My son was murdered at just 16 years old, and my world shattered. My marriage fell apart, and I found myself grappling with grief that felt insurmountable. Night after night, I was haunted by nightmares, questioning why I wasn’t there to save him. Then, one night, in a dream, my son asked, “Dad, why is there so much plastic in the ocean?” In that moment, Ocean Integrity was born. Within months, I transformed my pain into purpose, becoming an environmentalist dedicated to saving the ocean my son loved so deeply. Over the years, I’ve witnessed alarming amounts of trash polluting our waters, originating from companies, governments, and individuals alike. In the coming days, I’ll share my journey in the environmental space, exposing the greenwashing happening around us and highlighting how courts silence those who speak out. I’ll also share our incredible achievement—over 3.6 billion pounds of plastic handled globally since we started! We’ve become the largest ocean plastic retrieval entity on the planet and are expanding into mangrove restoration projects. I invite you to follow this story over the next week and share it widely. I won’t hold back; everything will be on the table. We have just one ocean, and we must save it. I do this in memory of my son. Are you willing to join us in this fight for the future of humanity? https://lnkd.in/gtGxbeC8
Who Watches the Watchers? 