Cut fishing by half to solve problem of unsustainability

There are ways to deal with inhumane and unsustainable ocean fishing practices. One could be to halve our seafood consumption, so the industry can only sell half its current quantity, immediately softening the impact on the by-catch by half. Seafood is not the only source of omega acids and due to its higher levels of mercury, it is certainly not the best form in which these “nutrients” exist. Plantbased omega acids prove less toxic (in the long term). So what is stopping the consumer from making the logical decisions that not only fix the over-fishing and by-catch problems, when this also indirectly makes seafood workers look for other employment in the longer term, forcing the industry to sharpen its act on payment of its existing workers? We may have to start somewhere.

Rene Blezer, Taupo

“It’s not like it’s a big deal — kerbside collection accounts for 15 per cent of the rubbish in Auckland’s landfills. And there’s no prospect of ever running out of landfill space.” (Big Brother council is trawling through our bins, July 9). Just because we’re starting kerbside, it does not mean the changes are insignificant. Just because we’re individuals, it does not mean we are insignificant. I want to remind New Zealanders that individuals make up a collective, individuals can provoke and evoke change within a collective and I want New Zealanders to feel inspired by the fact that as individuals, coming together with a common intention, we can make a difference! As Aristotle said, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Who wouldn’t intend to create a healthy, clean, abundant future for our children? Who wouldn’t want to learn how to better reduce their waste through recycling? Landfills pollute the water we drink, the air we breathe and our oceans — not only our most significant ecosystem, but a food source (a whole other kettle of fish — excuse the pun). I would be happy to think