Its Time to Stop Eating Seafood

While the mass media spent their time covering non-events, the real problems facing our tiny planet are ignored. The oceans are being fished out. We all have the same data. The sharks are being slaughtered at the rate of over 240,000 per day.  Half of the ocean's wildlife is gone along with ninety percent of the predator fish. Bluefin tuna, the world's truly super-fish, will soon be extinct.

Here is a solution that is a game changer: eat less seafood. We have two choices: eat less seafood or the fisheries will be fished out. Its that serious. The scientific estimates are that by 2048 the ocean's wildlife will be fished to extinction. The estimates are overly optimistic.  Seafood is a "food choice" in the developed world. As the poor countries economically develop, they too will help fish out the oceans. Sea life exists only on our tiny planet and must be protected. There is no meaningful life in our solar system. The other nearest star systems are irrelevant as they are so far away any life there has nothing to do with us.

Killing these creatures so rich consumers can have a food choice is not only evil but detrimental to our long term existence. Yes humans can survive without wildlife. But that is not a life that we want. The planet can become one highly developed urban center where there are a few trees here and there, pets and billions of people. With half of the 7.45 billion people living within 100 miles of the oceans, the sea creatures don't have a chance.

Picture our tiny planet as a cruise ship passing through space and time. Aboard this tiny ship are seven large oceans that cover 70 percent of the planet.  This ship appears blue from outer space. It's a beautiful place with a plethora of incredible life forms.

This problem of the collapse of the fisheries is new to history. A mere 500 years ago human technology was limited. There were tiny wooden sailing vessels. There was no plastic or electricity.  Humans spit tiny cannon balls at each other as weapons. Whales were abundant and wildlife existed throughout the planet.

As technology improved the wildlife was the first to suffer. By 1800 the human population had grown to approximately one billion. Guns improved and many wild land animals were hunted to extinction. Ships improved as did their cannons. Consequently, whales almost became extinct. By 1950 giant fishing trawlers now ventured to the farthest areas of the planet. Their nets are so large they can hold two 747s. Their long lines go out for 50 miles with tens of thousands of hooks. The result is fish stocks off the coasts of Europe and the eastern seaboard collapsed. Baby seals were clubbed to death for their furs and sharks are hunted for status. Shark fin soup is a delicacy in Asian societies.

Then came the billions of tons of plastic and other chemicals. There are now more plastic items in the oceans than fish and other sea creatures. Unless we clean up our mess, the wildlife does not have a chance.  The elephants, mountain gorillas, tigers rhinos and other land creatures will very soon be extinct. If we don't stop eating seafood as a food choice, the wildlife in the oceans will soon be extinct.

The solution to saving the wildlife in the oceans is quit eating it. Without tax subsidies from rich nations, the small industrial fishing companies will not be able to survive financially. When humans interfere in the marketplace with tax subsidies we get abnormal economic results. Its not hopeless.

Humans will make the right choice if given the information. The public was informed about the health effects of smoking cigarettes. The result is there has been a very sharp reduction in smoking. Public education has wiped out many diseases. The whales and buffalo have been saved from certain extinction. However, the plastics in the oceans and shipping continue to take their toll on these massive sea creatures. The public does not know that half of the sea creatures have been killed off. At times sea creatures are killed for pet food and to feed livestock. The majority of sea creatures that are killed are just wasted. Tuna is routinely thrown out from grocery stores as customers can't afford $24 a pound. These creatures are killed and wasted. It can stop.

What will work is a world wide moratorium on industrial fishing for at least ten years. A moratorium is not possible because most politicians are corrupt. Some are just intellectually deficient. These flawed greedy individuals follow the money.  Since politicians won't stop the slaughter, you the consumer have to stop eating seafood. If you don't eat seafood, the tax subsidized fishing industries will not be able to sell their product. Even with tax subsidies of over $36 billion worldwide, these small companies that benefit a tiny handful of very rich individuals will go out of business. The net result will be that fish will be able to reproduce.

Long term, the solution to save the ocean's wildlife is to create a Global High Seas Marine Preserve.  Take 70 percent of the oceans off to industrial commercial fishing. Humans and nature will be in balance. A Global High Seas Marine Preserve will insure that future generations will be able to eat wild caught sea food. It all starts with this generation. We can eat less seafood and let the fish stocks recover. The alternative is a few giant companies will fish out the oceans and we will eat no wild caught seafood.

There is another very good reason to not eat sea creatures. Humans have contaminated the oceans with plastic and a whole host of dangerous chemicals. There is no health benefit to eating contaminated fish stocks that have radionuclides and plastic particles. Eat less seafood. Give the ocean life a chance to survive. And while we are at it, lets clean up the oceans so ten years from now, we will once again have healthy sea food and an ocean with more creatures.