Why we don’t serve seafood/fish

Academy, Timor Leste

Why we don’t serve seafood/fish

It its true that for generations we have been fed from the ocean- seafood/fish. However in more recent decades we have taken advantage of this resource. We have treated it as a bottomless pit. Once we could have blamed our ignorance, not truly understanding the vastness is not the same as inexhaustable. Despite new findings and knowledge we still continue to bleed our oceans dry. No longer ignorant to its suffering we chose to look the other way and disassociate ourselves from our food.

These days it is no longer “local fishermen” with spears and small catch nets trying to feed their family. It is no longer a whole village coming together to hunt one whale whose meat will last them the year. You can have fish ans seafood anytime and anywhere; even in the most land locked areas. Globalisation has made many things possible but the truth is we have stopped eating local and seasonally. Our generations have become so used to having what they want, when they want there is very little appreiciation for how it gets to us in the frist place.

Industrial fishing is a mafia. Not only are they catching huge numbers of fish but the methods are harmful. Trawlers destroy the sea bed and reefs. Nets catch unwanted species also known as bycatch, which is often just thrown back dead. Aside from all this the vast majority of plastic waste in the ocean is not actually disposible items and polystyrene. Instead it is discarded or lost fishing nets and lines.

Fishing is a big buisness thus becomes all about money resulting in a lost connection to the animals and the ocean. It’s just a job, it’s just the industry. An industry pushed by the consumers, the never ending demand for animal products. Only the “best”.

Unfortunately ignoring the problems we create does not make them go away. The truth is if we destroy the ocean, we destroy ourselves!!

The answer is Aquaculture?

Just not the case. To supply the demand for salmon etc we just catch tonnes of small fish to feed the ones in the cages. Moreover we serve fish to cats, pigs, and chickens. Pets and Meat taking priotiy over the health of the ocean. Hello our planet is 70% water!!

Supply and demand; we demand the bigger fish but to “farm” them requires a food source. That’s what fishermen are catching – smaller fish to feed bigger fish. A U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) study concluded that 80% of all marine fish stocks are currently fully exploited, overexploited, depleted, or recovering from depletion.

Solutions

It is not nessarily that we must stop eating seafood/fish but we MUST be aware. Aware of where it is coming from, how it was fished, what fed it. The bycatch produced or habitat destroyed to obtain it. If the populations are healthy and sustainable locally. How far has the fish or seafood traveled to reach your plate?

Make local and sustainable choices. Don’t eat seafood/fish or meat just because you think you have to

Inform yourself about endangered species and stay away from them

We need to consider the ocean – its needs and that of the fishes and we need to give them the space and the time to recover.