The oceans are running out of breath!
>> The plundering of the oceans damages the climate incomparably more than all the car industry combined – a dead ocean does not breathe.
Chemical pollution, enormous plastic waste islands reaching the size of countries, expanding oxygen-depleted dead zones. It probably doesn’t surprise anyone today that marine life is disappearing in ever larger areas, almost to the point of extinction.
We can save the oceans, but we need to start now
The fate of leaving oceans teeming with life or dead and devoid of creatures for future generations depends on our decision,” say scientists
Dead ocean
I don’t eat fish, so it doesn’t concern me!” someone might argue. Of course, that’s not entirely true. We’ll explain why this gentleman is wrong.
Even though rainforests are called the Earth’s green lungs, the majority of CO2 is captured and oxygen is produced due to the vastness of the ocean. Unfortunately, today’s oceanic lungs can be compared to the lungs of a heavy smoker.
It’s worth considering that even if we (purely hypothetically) replaced all the world’s combustion engines with green electric vehicles, it wouldn’t compensate for the “respiratory” function of a dying ocean. Yet all efforts and financial resources are focused on electric mobility, whose ultimate benefits are, at the very least, debatable. On the other hand the deplorable state of the ocean remains largely unaddressed. Yes, you’re right, plastics are abhorrent, and there has been a slight movement here. Hooray, soon we’ll have paper straws and cups, and returnable PET bottles, and whatnot. Perhaps a step in the right direction, but at this point, we shouldn’t be taking “steps” but rather running very quickly.
Industrial fishing
Let’s be honest, paper straws simply won’t save the ocean. The overwhelming majority of plastics in the sea come from fishing. In adddition to that industrial fishing is responsible for decimating fish populations with high-tech methods to nearly zero levels. The devastation of the ocean floor by trawl nets has catastrophic consequences in the marine ecosystem. Without fish and creatures on the seabed, the circle of life in the sea comes to a complete halt, and without the circle, there is no oxygen. There are areas of the ocean that are not just dead figuratively but literally.
World’s oceans losing oxygen at a shocking rate
Over the last 60 years, the oxygen content in the world’s oceans has significantly decreased. “Dead zones,” large areas with virtually no oxygen, are spreading dramatically.
Dead ocean
Coastal states are neither able nor willing to protect their waters from excessive or devastating fishing, let alone international waters. The formation of a global initiative aimed at improving the situation seems unlikely. On the contrary, investigative journalists or biologists researching this issue literally risk their lives, as their work goes against powerful fishing corporations. Although “Seaspiracy” is an amateurishly produced documentary, it is emotionally compelling and sufficiently outlines the breadth of the problem (available on the Netflix platform). Please note that some passages are truly only for the strong-hearted.
Seaspiracy – Let’s Stop the Ocean’s Destruction!
The ocean has always been absolutely fascinating to him. That’s why he made a documentary about how people are destroying life in the seas and, in the process, uncovered corruption of unprecedented proportions.
Marine Farms
It’s worth paying a little more attention to marine large-scale farms. At first glance, these large-scale productions may seem like a smaller ecological evil. But even if we overlook the fact that these farms mainly consume fishmeal produced by industrial fishing, it’s impossible to ignore the conditions in which the fish often live (diseases, parasites, chemical pollution). The caught salmon was at least a happy and healthy part of some marine ecosystem. On the other hand the salmon you’ve just bought from the supermarket probably didn’t have this luck and came from some large-scale farm.
Fish farms resemble battery chicken farms
Even when the concentration of harmful chemicals on the ocean floor exceeds the allowed limit, nothing happens, and no one is held accountable. Everyone turns their backs on the problem. That means the fishing industry can do as it pleases.
But what can I do about it?
Of course, you can become an active member or contributor to an existing ocean conservation organization. Many of them are wealthy and reputable with millions of members (such as Oceania, The Ocean Conservancy, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, The Nature Conservancy, The World Wildlife Fund, etc.). However, their influence and impact are debatable, and more importantly, it goes beyond the scope of this website.
Now, let’s get back to the man from the beginning of the article who doesn’t eat fish. I must confess that after watching the documentary on Netflix mentioned earlier, my time of consuming seafood is over as well. So – we can both delude ourselves. However, it’s difficult to determine just how much fishmeal the average EU citizen indirectly consumes through other animal products (fishmeal is used to feed various animals). In any case, this leads to another argument in favor of local (organic) farmers. Thanks to their products, we can bypass fishmeal and its indirect consumption.
Local Fish on Your Plate!
But back to fish. I love fish, and I don’t intend to remove them from my menu. An acceptable alternative is freshwater fish. No matter where you live, it’s not difficult to find the nearest fishmonger:
Local fish is fish as well
Don’t know where to buy fresh fish? Then you’re in the right place. On the map, you’ll find the nearest fish market along with the most important information about the shop.
