Fishing and the State of our oceans

A documentary on Ocean and fishing “The End of the Line” was released on Jun 2009.

The film showcased the dire state of the ocean and the problem of overfishing.
Here’s the trailer of the movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWB8KJ1aIJ4

Directors of “End of the line” discuss about the Crisis in the Ocean: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhUOAm9Lx0o&NR=1

Below are some Facts on Fishing:
http://endoftheline.com/campaign/fish_facts/

According to the UNFAO [United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization], about 70 per cent of our global fisheries are now being fished close to, already at, or beyond their capacity. - The Earth's Carrying Capacity - Bruce Sundquist

As many as 90 per cent of all the ocean's large fish have been fished out.
- WWF [World Wildlife fund]
…..

Here are some News report on Overfishing and recent measures to protect the ocean:

1. From Deep Pacific, Ugly and tasty, with a Catch
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/science/10fish.html?_r=2&no_interstitial
‘The world’s insatiable appetite for fish, with its disastrous effects on populations of favorites like red snapper, monkfish and tuna, has driven commercial fleets to deeper waters in search of creatures unlikely to star on the Food Network.’
Unsustainable deep sea fishing depletes ocean of red snapper, monkfish, Tuna & Hoki


2. Scientist backed Blue-fin tuna trade ban:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091029/ts_afp/citesspeciestuna_20091029144739

MADRID (AFP) - – Scientists who advise fisheries regulators support a ban on trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna, a sushi staple, to protect the species from over-fishing, environmental groups WWF and Greenpeace said Thursday.
International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas scientists concluded that the species' "current spawning biomass is less than 15 percent of what it once was before fishing began, meaning Atlantic bluefin tuna meets the criteria for a CITES Appendix I listing," they said in a statement.
……….

Some people think that Fish farming [Aquaculture] is a solution to help the Ocean.

That is NOT so.
The World’s current practice of Fish farming [Aqua-culture] is NOT a solution to
the Ocean.

In fact, it is contributing to the problem:
“End of the Line: Fish Farming”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B77bs2aploI

40% of the world’s fish catch is grounded into fish meal to feed farmed fishes [such as Salmon] and the livestock industries. [chickens and pigs]

The more fish farms the world has, the less fishes in the oceans.

Huge demand for omega-3 fatty acids depleting oceans worldwide for aquaculture:
http://news.mongabay.com/2009/0909-hance-aquaculture.html
‘It takes typically 5 pounds of ‘wild’ fish to produce 1pound of farmed fish’.

Using fish as livestock feed threatens global fisheries:
http://news.mongabay.com/2009/1118-hance_fishmeal.html
‘Thirty million tons – or 36 per cent – of the world's total fisheries catch each year is currently ground up into fishmeal and oil to feed farmed fish, chickens and pigs," world-renowned fishery researcher and co-author, Daniel Pauly, told the University of British Colombia (UBC).

Globally, pigs and chickens alone consume six times the amount of seafood as US consumers and twice that of Japan," lead author Jennifer Jacquet told UBC.
………

To solve our environmental crisis, we need to restore health to the Oceans:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QU89xabmrg

Massive commercial fishing has to be stopped, Deep sea Trawling has to be stopped. More areas of the ocean should be protected from fishing. [Currently, only 1% of the world’s ocean is protected from fishing.]

One practical way to limit the fishing industry is to reduce support for the fishing industry.

Reduce our fish intake [especially Tuna, salmons etc], or stop eating fish, to protect the oceans. :>

“Be Veg, Go Green, Save the planet.”
Low ck


P.S. To get the a Safe form of Omega-3, try ‘flaxseed, nuts, seeds’ etc as recommended by US Physician Committee for Responsible Medicine [PCRM]
http://www.pcrm.org/health/reports/fish_report.html

Safer Source of Omega-3 acids

Fishes contains mercury, heavy metals and other contaminants.[PCBs, Dioxin, Chlorane & DDT] These are harmful to humans and causes many disease such as cancer, heart disease and liver disease.

Alpha-linolenic acid, the only essential omega-3 fatty acid, is found in many vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and fruits. It is concentrated in flaxseeds and flaxseed oil and also found in oils such as canola, soybean, walnut, and wheat germ. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in nuts, seeds, and soy products, as well as beans, vegetables, and whole grains.28,29 Corn, safflower, sunflower, and cottonseed oils are generally low in omega-3s. Fish consumption is by no means the only way to ensure adequate intake of omega-3 fatty acids.