Save the oceans with your diet
THERE is no longer an abundance of fish in the sea. Global citizens are being urged to restrict their consumption of fish.
Last month, February, was declared Fish Free month to help protect the oceans by removing seafood from diets for 28 days and helping to raise awareness of the issues caused by intensive fishing practices. Many South Africans took the pledge this year, the first time since the conservation initiative was created in the UK.
The oceans are in a state of global crisis, brought about by ocean warming, acidification, pollution, and habitat destruction.
However, the biggest immediate threat to ocean life is from fisheries. Each year about 1 to 2.7 trillion fish are caught for human consumption, though this figure does not include illegal fisheries, discarded fish, fish caught to be used as bait, or fish killed by not caught, so the real number is far higher.
“It is no wonder then, that today nearly 90% of the world’s marine stocks are fully exploited, overexploited or depleted. If we do not act fast, overfishing and damaging fishing practices will soon destroy the ocean ecosystems which produce 80% of the oxygen in our atmosphere and provide three billion people with their primary source of protein,” said Mike Snoddy of Fish Free Febuary.
Fish Free February, a UK-registered charity, challenged people around the world to take action for marine life in a simple but effective way.
This year, South Africans across the country took the Fish Free February Pledge and dropped seafood from their diet for one month.
Fish Free February wants to get people talking about the wide range of issues associated with industrial fishing practices and putting the well-being of our oceans at the forefront of dietary decision-making.
“Not all fishing practices are bad,” said Simon Hilbourne, founder of Fish Free February.
“Well-managed, small-scale fisheries that use selective fishing gears can be sustainable. However, most of the seafood in our diet comes from industrial fisheries which often prioritise profit over the well-being of our planet, resulting in multiple environmental challenges.
“In some cases, the fishing industry has even been linked to serious human rights issues such as forced labour and human trafficking. Fish Free February was set up to shed more light on fishing practices, create wider discussion around these issues, and offer solutions to benefit people, wildlife, and the natural environment.”
Sharks and rays have been especially impacted by the use of destructive fishing methods, and after being on Earth for more than 400 million years, are now all threatened with extinction due to humans. South Africa is one of the top shark destinations in the world, and shark diving has brought in millions of tourist dollars locally and internationally.
Whole communities based around this tourism have been developed around this shark diving including Gansbaai, Umkomaas/Aliwal Shoal, and Protea Banks/Shelly Beach.
“However, in South Africa, we face additional threats to sharks that are further decimating the populations of tiger sharks, black tip sharks, bull sharks, and more. This includes the use of drone fishing for sport fishing of sharks and rays, and the KZN shark nets.
Drone fishing is a relatively new style of fishing in which a fisherman can attach lines to a drone and use the camera on the drone to locate, target, and then drop line on anything they are looking for, and this includes sharks.
Dive instructor Michael Snodgrass has been diving Aliwal Shoal nearly every day for three years. He has observed specific hook/cable from drone fishing on the sharks allowing him to know that the individuals have been directly impacted from drone fishing.
“Since drone fishing has become more popular, I have noticed an increase of 2mm thick and 1.2-1.5 steel trace attached to much more sharks while diving on Aliwal shoal. After a bit of research, I found that that is in fact the preferred line to use when drone fishing for sharks. To see this almost every day breaks my heart.”
Snodgrass and most of the divers in the area have observed an increased amount of black tip sharks entangled by fish hooks and fishing line during shark diving.
“Technology is incredibly advanced these days. It should be utilised to help preserve endangered species, not further impact them. Though sport fishing of sharks and rays is supposed to be catch and release, the use of drone fishing involves dragging the shark for several kilometres, and the shark does not stand a chance of surviving after being released.”
Michelle Carpenter, a local researcher based in Umkomaas said: This unnecessary style of fishing will continue to decimate local shark populations, on which the entire KZN tourism community is dependent on”
Citizens should be encouraged to ensure where their fish is coming from and not purchase from fishermen who use drones, gill nets, trawling, seine nets, or longlines. Choose to eat sustainably and buy your seafood from those who use hook and line, or take up spearfishing and collect your own.
To learn more about these issues and to take the Fish Free February pledge, visit www.fishfreefebruary.com