Back in 2013 I graduated with a Master in Applied Ethics
from Utrecht University. My last assignment, my thesis, which built on the work
of biologists, veterinarians, and other scholars at my institution, sought to
find the rightful place of fish in the moral compass.
Since then, I developed a stronger care for these wonderful creatures, and
honestly believe that it is of urgent importance to protect the oceans.
Recently, there is a lot of talk about the new environmental
law, which protects several native species of flora and fauna, and it is quite
totalitarian.
It comes as a ban on fishing a bunch of different species, and the fishermen are in uproar. That is understandable. But here’s the thing, Rona, fishermen are grown men, not teenagers. We shouldn’t have to give in to their demands in the name of preventing an uncomfortable week for Daddy Government. We are currently way past the point of negotiation with this issue. Sure, let’s protect the traditional way of the fisher, all the way until there isn’t a single fish to fish anymore. Let’s pretend that there isn’t illegal fishing, hunting, and logging going on around the world, which already puts immense pressure on the global ecosystems.
Fish are incredible animals, and there is actually so much variety in what we call “fish”, that it sometimes doesn’t even make sense to group all these species together. They are not just a product to be pulled out of the ocean for a quick buck or a tingle on your taste buds. Particularly for those of us living close to the waters, species that live in the ocean “filter toxins from the water (,) protect shorelines and reduce the risks or algae blooms such as the red tide.”
This isn’t an issue where talking about it will help. We’ve been talking about the oceans since I myself was a kid, and we are still talking about it, and in the meantime, it is predicted that by 2048 the entire world’s oceans will be empty of fish. Oh, sorry, did I say predicted?
Nicola Beaumont, PhD from the Plymouth Marine Laboratory in the UK said in a news release “This isn’t predicted to happen, it’s happening right now.” She added that this decline in biodiversity means the marine environment will not be able to sustain our way of life.
This isn’t even about exotic species, but actually, 29% of edible fish and seafood species have already seen their numbers decline by a whopping 90%. It is not a gradual decline, either. It’s happening fast and getting faster.
Giving them more time is not a solution, not for the fishermen, and not for the fish.
Ok. So what can we do?
We can turn the fishermen into farmers! Yes we can. Growing food locally will not only leave the oceans in peace, but the reduction in transport costs for a portion of our food consumption will all-around help the environment. We can even set up a farm-to-table restaurant called “Former Fisheries”. We could teach the fishermen a new skill, like leather tanning, shoe-making, landscaping. Let’s support the fishermen in finding a more sustainable way of life.
It is not uncommon for professions and skills to slowly become obsolete. Think of all the people who lost their manufacturing jobs in the wake of the industrial revolution and yet, no one ever stood up and said we should stop introducing machines.
We are now once again at world-changing cross roads. “It’s not too late. We can turn this around. But less than 1% of the global ocean is effectively protected right now,” said Boris Worm, PhD of Dalhousie in Halifax and author of the study I’ve based this post on.
Sorry fishermen, but you will survive. The oceans will not.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/salt-water-fish-extinction-seen-by-2048
It comes as a ban on fishing a bunch of different species, and the fishermen are in uproar. That is understandable. But here’s the thing, Rona, fishermen are grown men, not teenagers. We shouldn’t have to give in to their demands in the name of preventing an uncomfortable week for Daddy Government. We are currently way past the point of negotiation with this issue. Sure, let’s protect the traditional way of the fisher, all the way until there isn’t a single fish to fish anymore. Let’s pretend that there isn’t illegal fishing, hunting, and logging going on around the world, which already puts immense pressure on the global ecosystems.
Fish are incredible animals, and there is actually so much variety in what we call “fish”, that it sometimes doesn’t even make sense to group all these species together. They are not just a product to be pulled out of the ocean for a quick buck or a tingle on your taste buds. Particularly for those of us living close to the waters, species that live in the ocean “filter toxins from the water (,) protect shorelines and reduce the risks or algae blooms such as the red tide.”
This isn’t an issue where talking about it will help. We’ve been talking about the oceans since I myself was a kid, and we are still talking about it, and in the meantime, it is predicted that by 2048 the entire world’s oceans will be empty of fish. Oh, sorry, did I say predicted?
Nicola Beaumont, PhD from the Plymouth Marine Laboratory in the UK said in a news release “This isn’t predicted to happen, it’s happening right now.” She added that this decline in biodiversity means the marine environment will not be able to sustain our way of life.
This isn’t even about exotic species, but actually, 29% of edible fish and seafood species have already seen their numbers decline by a whopping 90%. It is not a gradual decline, either. It’s happening fast and getting faster.
Giving them more time is not a solution, not for the fishermen, and not for the fish.
Ok. So what can we do?
We can turn the fishermen into farmers! Yes we can. Growing food locally will not only leave the oceans in peace, but the reduction in transport costs for a portion of our food consumption will all-around help the environment. We can even set up a farm-to-table restaurant called “Former Fisheries”. We could teach the fishermen a new skill, like leather tanning, shoe-making, landscaping. Let’s support the fishermen in finding a more sustainable way of life.
It is not uncommon for professions and skills to slowly become obsolete. Think of all the people who lost their manufacturing jobs in the wake of the industrial revolution and yet, no one ever stood up and said we should stop introducing machines.
We are now once again at world-changing cross roads. “It’s not too late. We can turn this around. But less than 1% of the global ocean is effectively protected right now,” said Boris Worm, PhD of Dalhousie in Halifax and author of the study I’ve based this post on.
Sorry fishermen, but you will survive. The oceans will not.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/salt-water-fish-extinction-seen-by-2048
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