Nature Haters: August 2010

I saw this movie on Friday called The End of the Line. If you know anything about the movie, you might have guessed that it was what inspired my last post. It wasn't. I started writing that post about three months ago when I read about the plight of the Northern Bluefin Tuna.

Then I gave up on this blog - I didn't write another thing for three months.
The movie inspired me to finish the post. It inspired me to keep this blog going, it inspired me to do what I can to spread the word about issues that matter to the future of this planet. I don't know if anyone reads this blog, but on the off chance that someone stumbles across it and reads something that changes their view on the issues I believe in, I'll keep writing.

Now I know most people don't want to see amazing animals like the Bluefin Tuna or the Northern Cod fished into extinction. Most people find the animals of this planet intriguing and beautiful and want them around for their children to see. But most people simply don't have the time to worry about things like this all the time. They're too worried about feeding their own family, keeping a roof over their heads and keeping their job. And that's fair enough too. That's why movies like this are so important - they lay it all out for us in black & white and they show us easy ways we can help fix the problem.

This movie isn't just about Tuna.
This movie isn't against fishing.
This movie is about the future of our oceans.

Yellowfin tuna are being fished as a replaceme...

Image via Wikipedia

Canned Tuna is the biggest selling seafood item in Australia. At a guess, it must be the biggest selling seafood item in the world - maybe not for much longer. Our hunger for tinned Tuna, and for Tuna sushi and sashimi, has led to many species of Tuna being critically over fished.

According to the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation, Indian Ocean Yellowfin, Pacific Ocean Bigeye, and Albacore Tuna are all overfished. Northern Bluefin Tuna, the most sought after tuna for sashimi and sushi, is one of the most endangered fish species on the planet.

Bluefin Tuna don't reproduce until a later age, and are often killed for our food before they've had a chance to reproduce. It's completely unthinkable, but Atlantic Bluefin Tuna could be extinct in LESS THAN two years! Stocks are currently estimated to be at 3% of their 1960's level - a decline of 97%. Yet the worldwide fishing quota for Bluefin is three times what scientists recommend for recovery of the species.

Bluefin Tuna are an amazingly strong, fast and beautiful fish. If you haven't seen a Bluefin Tuna before, you will be amazed at their size. They can reach more than 13 feet in length (twice as tall as the tallest guy you know) and swim faster than 60km/h. But unfortunately, they don't stand a chance against modern purse seine net fishing practices. The Bluefin are actually hunted by small aircraft that spot the Tuna shoals and call in their coordinates to the fishing boats. The boats circle the Tuna shoal with massive purse seine nets that can hold up to 10 jumbo jets. All they have to do then is tighten the net. It's not even a sport anymore, it's just another company making massive amounts of money while the poor fisherman are ruining their own lively-hood.

And you still want to eat Tuna?!!

Well in that case... Greenpeace Australia have just released their updated tinned Tuna guide.

If you must eat tinned Tuna, please only eat one of these listed above. If you're going to eat Tuna sushi or sashimi, ask what type of Tuna it is. As always, the power is with us, the consumers. If you demand sustainably fished species of fish, they will have to supply sustainably fished species of fish! Supply & Demand.

And if you're not going to listen to me, listen to your friend Vincent Chase...

The End of the Line

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