It is predicted that within your lifetime, around the year 2048, the world stocks of seafood will be depleted if the globe continues to fish at the current rate.
Maybe you were hoping to live to see the age of flying cars and not the disappearance of your favorite sushi roll, let alone the chaos to ensue if one of the most globally depended on food sources disappears. This prediction was discovered through an international, four year study of thousands of fish species. Really though, this idea is not too surprising considering around 80-90 percent of the world's fisheries are overfished.
Incredibly, there is little regulation over international fishing waters. Recently, news broke Norway was responsible for the deaths of over 12,000 whales since 1993, more than other prominent whale hunters Japan and Iceland combined. This is spite of the International Whaling Commission which banned commercial whale fishing in 1983.
In fact, around 22 species of endangered or threatened fish are still commercially fished for like the Atlantic Cod, Red Snapper, Monkfish and more. The Bluefish Tuna's population has decreased by 92 percent in the past 100 years and is now endangered although still open for fishing.
The way fish are caught can also make a huge impact on the environment. Two types of commercial fishing which are extremely damaging to the environment include bottom trawling and blast fishing. Bottom trawling refers to when a large net is dragged along the bottom of the ocean floor. This practice can cause damage to coral reefs. Blast fishing, while illegal in most countries, is difficult to enforce and still used in the Philippines. Blast fishing involves actually using explosives and / or poison to kill a group of fish.
So what can our generation do?
On an individual level, cut back on the amount of fish you eat. One of my goals for about the past year is to not purchase any commercially caught fish. I'm not perfect and have slipped a few times, but if everyone cut back on their seafood, then real change could happen. If you are not ready to switch to the "Fish are friends, not food" lifestyle, then learn more about the fish you are eating. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has an entire site designed to help you quickly learn how to make more informed choices as a consumer. They even have an app to help you on the go!
Overall, it's important to remain aware of what is going on in the ocean. Shark attacks make for an exciting news story, but the reason why the sharks are moving closer to shore (depleted food sources) is often ignored. There is real signs our oceans are hurting and these signs are ones our generation cannot afford to ignore.
