Our Reality: Overfishing
At the current rate of fishing, alongside climate change and pollution, by 2050 all wild seafood stock will collapse, defined as 90% depletion. Overfishing is a direct outcome of commercial fishing as it isn’t targeted and results in massive bycatch that gets discarded and wasted.
It also mirrors our first world lifestyle: Blue fin tuna that used to be so abundant 50 years ago, has been rated Endangered by IUCN since 2011, all for our obsession with Sushi.
Real sustainable fishing does exist (contrary to the picture Seaspiracy portrayed in the film). Size of fishery and scientific methodology are key: small-scale fishing employs 10x as many people, almost completely eliminates bycatch with a fraction of CO2 emissions, compared to industrial fishing.
DID YOU KNOW
Not all fish farming is good – 1/3 of annual global wild catch such as sardines goes to feed farmed animals; most farmed fish is loaded with steroids and antibiotics. The future of aquaculture needs to focus on species lower on the food web and as plant-like as possible: clams, oysters, mussels.
WHAT WE CAN DO
If you can find the source, buy from sustainable, local, small fisheries.
Eat less seafood; When you do, eat farmed shell fish from lower on the food chain.
Other challenges we're facing: