The End Of The Line
In one of my classes, our instructor played a documentary called "THE END OF THE LINE". It explains the catastrophic consequences of over fishing. Let me point out some facts that caught my attention and raised my hatred towards fishermen, politicians, and the government. (WARNING: it’s a bit long, but don’t be discouraged! It’s really informative)
The documentary focuses on the imminent extinction of the Atlantic Blue fin tuna. The Blue fin Tuna is regarded as a highly prized food fish, and is hence victim of over fishing, even if it is now endangered. Companies are making millions of dollars by exterminating this wild species. It is already extinct in the Caspian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.
In order for the tuna to avoid collapse, there needs to be no more than 15 000 tons collected, but scientists recommend to really only fish no more than 10 000 to be able to recover the population. However, fishing companies catch more than 61 000 tons! That equals a third of the entire tuna fish population. Several scientists were interviewed and commented on the situation, and one compared fishermen to businessmen. He said that if the fishermen were businessmen, they would be fired because they would have collapsed the economy, and our resources to make profits. You can't negotiate with biology. Extinction is forever, money comes and goes.
In order for the tuna to avoid collapse, there needs to be no more than 15 000 tons collected, but scientists recommend to really only fish no more than 10 000 to be able to recover the population. However, fishing companies catch more than 61 000 tons! That equals a third of the entire tuna fish population. Several scientists were interviewed and commented on the situation, and one compared fishermen to businessmen. He said that if the fishermen were businessmen, they would be fired because they would have collapsed the economy, and our resources to make profits. You can't negotiate with biology. Extinction is forever, money comes and goes.
Fish has been caught since their discovery in the oceans. Today, 1.4 billion fish hooks, and fish nets are thrown into the ocean per year. To put it into perspective, these fish hooks can circle our planet (that is also deteriorating) more than 500 times; and the fish nets can fit 13 Boeings in them.
1.2 billion People rely on fish to survive. One of the fishermen from Senegal shown in the documentary makes $6 from fishing in which $4 is used to pay for the gas in his boat, and the $2 left is used to feed his family. Meanwhile, on the same shoreline, Europeans and companies like Mitsubishi (what? Mitsubishi? Explanation below) make millions with the help of the government and without it by illegal and unregulated fishing. This brings in $25 billion/year. So basically, all the fish on your plate is stolen and illegal.
In Tokyo, Mitsubishi Corporation (they also makes cars, that I will now, never own) controls 60% of the Tuna Trade production. They provided bigger boats to send out in the oceans, to get more tuna fish. The scientists state that once the Blue fin Tuna runs out, they will go to another species of tuna and so on. This is what International companies and consumer demand do to wild species. Wild species that are apex predators! This means that there will be an overabundance of their prey because their predators have disappeared. Yay for them but bad for the balance of the ecosystem, which in turn, affects us.
So not only are they ridding us of one of the most beautiful ecosystem but they aren’t even doing it properly! Fishing is the most wasteful activity/job: it wastes 7 million tons (1/10th of the oceans wildlife) of turtles, sharks, dolphins, birds, whales, and other fish, often already dead, that is thrown back into the ocean. Wow. How compassionate of the humans! We are an amazing race, really.
In Hong Kong restaurants, some exotic fish are taken from the coral triangle in the seas of Asia. At this rate, I am surprised we haven't tipped the balance of nature into chaos. The year 2048 will mark the collapse of the fish population. Fishermen may be revolted by the laws assigned to protect the fish,(yes, it’s their lifestyle), but in 2048 that lifestyle will disappear! They are dooming THEMSELVES! Hence, I could not care less if they are out of jobs, I don't care if they don't make money, and they can be angry at themselves for not only exterminating our oceans wildlife by not abiding by laws, that were put to protect not only the fish, but the fishermen as well! They were also put into power, so they could STILL have jobs in 10-15 years! HMARS (Arabic for stupid)!
In 2048 we will live in a world where our oceans will be reduced to a surplus of shrimp, jellyfish, algae and plankton and worms. Why? Because the top predators have been hunted to extinction, and there will be no balance within the ecosystem. At that point, it will be a road of no-return. What will happen to us when we won't have anything left? What will happen when all our resources will be exhausted? Hunt and eat each other? I wouldn't be surprised...Humans aren't perfect we know that. We figured it out ourselves, but if God was omnipresent and omnipotent...is this His/Her's (yes, God could be a women, people! although I doubt a female God would let her people do this) idea of us? If so, we need a new one, stat.
So. What should we do, to not reach the end of the line? Now that 90% of the fish is gone....where did it go, you ask? WE ATE IT TO EXTINCTION!
1) Ask where the fish is from
2) Where it was caught. For all you know or care, you are eating a fish that lived in polluted waters (also caused by us), or worse! It was retrieved from the stomach of a poor shark that was killed for its fins and thrown back into the ocean.
3) Make sure the fish you buy has a Northeast Seafood Coalition sticker on it (The NSC is "dedicated to working with government regulations and environmental concerns to preserve the long-term health of fishery resources, fishing communities and the fishing industry").
4) We need to change our habits
5) Abide by rules, because this is happening on our watch
Food for thought: In Peru, they convert fish to other fish meaning for example, 5 kilos of sardines are converted into 1 kilo of salmon! Ta-da!
As consumers we have the power to control if the fish is endangered or not. Fishing costs $30-50 billion a year whereas managing and enforcing laws to protect marine protected areas costs $12-14 billion and managing can create a million jobs worldwide. The Governments need to be pressured, if there are no more fish in 99.4% of the ocean, fishermen will move to the 0.6% that is protected.
Join campaigns for Marine Protected Areas and responsible fishing, and again, ask what you are buying. (I am reducing my consumption, if not eating all together)
A science report in January 2009 found that fish droppings help the ocean absorb carbon dioxide. It is the first link between over fishing and global warming.
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.
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