I was mostly a pescatarian for many years. Sushi was my favorite food. I believed that if I limited my sushi intake to once a week or every other week, I was not at risk of consuming high quantities of mercury or other toxins. My “healthy” lunch usually included a salad of leafy greens and wild-caught Alaskan salmon. This type of salmon was harder to find in restaurants as they mostly serve farmed fish, which are full of parasites and antibiotics. And then I learned that no matter what type of fish you select; neurotoxic heavy metals, dioxins, plastic compounds, and other pollutants are present in all fish.
I came across a study from Stanford which concluded that tuna caught in California carry radiation from the Japanese Fukushima. Radioactive materials have been transported in the flesh of Pacific Bluefin tuna, across the Pacific Ocean to San Diego. As I was slowly transitioning to a plant-based diet, I decided it was safest to stay clear of all fish. I was confident with my decision since humans do not need to eat fish to obtain omega-3 fatty acids. It turns out that fish do not produce omega-3, but accumulate them from the algae they consume. A whole food plant-based diet including algae, nuts, seeds, beans, vegetables, and fruits provides the necessary omega-3s.
It wasn’t until the documentary “Seaspiracy” was released in 2021, that I was able to persuade the people close to me to limit their fish intake. I shared this Netflix groundbreaking documentary with everyone I could and I believe every single person should watch this film about the environmental impact of fishing which is not widely known.
The human harm to world marine species is enormous. The commercial fishing industry is polluting our oceans and destroying marine life. Seaspiracy makes a pretty good case, that unless we change our behavior as soon as possible, the entire fishing industry will collapse by 2050.
80% of all life on Earth resides in the ocean and our fishing industry is eradicating this ecosystem. 2.7 trillion fish are killed every year. 40% of all marine life caught globally is thrown straight back into the ocean as bycatch. But, by the time they are thrown back, they are often already dead or dying. Commercial fishing kills whales, dolphins, and sharks on a massive scale. Fishing vessels kill about 50 million sharks and 250,000 sea turtles. If fishing trends continue, oceans will be desolate in less than 30 years.
45% of the plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is derived from fishing gear such as buoys, buckets, nets, or crates. The plastic straws we were all shamed for using, are nothing compared to this and count for less than 1% of all plastic entering the ocean.
We as individuals can change all this by ending fish consumption. That is the best thing we can do for ourselves and the environment. There will be no further damage to marine life if we don’t buy and eat fish. The fisherman will have no reason to go fishing and this industry will no longer impact not only our marine ecosystem but also the earth’s climate.
It’s not too late to start protecting fish that are killed by an industry that’s destroying the entire ocean. Marine biologist Sylvia Earle said: “Most of the positive and negative things that bring about change in human civilization start with someone, someONE, and no one can do everything, but everyone can do something”. Be that someone who does something today to prevent our world from being destroyed tomorrow.
