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Today is World Oceans Day. Perhaps a time to celebrate mankind’s success in unveiling the mysteries of our Blue Planet, but as you sit back and contemplate the glistening waters, do you notice that submarines in the deepest canyons do not only reveal how different species are connected, but also show the damage of our oceans’ ecosystem.
The ocean is our greatest provider. Along with the world's coastlines, fish constitutes a large part of people’s diet, and fishing provides most of world’s communities with livelihoods. For instance, over 2.6 billion people depend on fish as their major source of animal protein and 200 million people earn their income from fishing and related activities.
Thanks to our oceans many people are benefiting its resources. But have we given back what we took from the ocean? No. We abuse our oceans and we let large fishing vessel harvest indiscriminately its resources. We do nothing as giant ships with state-of-the-art sonar system to locate fishing and whales, helicopters, or commercial fleets equipped with indiscriminate catch methods disembowel our seas. What about our appetite for baby shrimps, shark fin soup and whale sashimi? Oh, of course one shall never forget our astonishing carbon dioxide emission that triggers global warming, threatening marine life even more severely.
Undoubtedly, our oceans are under incredible pressure. In their latest global status report, the FAO announces that over half of fish populations are fished at their maximum sustainable limits, leaving no room for further expansion. Lesser fish stock does not simply imply that fish and chips could become one of the most luxurious delicacies in the future. More importantly, small communities whose waters are exploited by European fleets would be left with empty nets and hungry bellies.
If we do not want our children ending up with jellyfish as the best seafood choice on their menu, it is time to respond to the urgent need to protect our oceans! Starting from today, let’s take the initiative to cultivate sustainable fishing!
For more facts on overfishing and its implications, please visit the website of Greenpeace International:
By Janice Chow (Hong Kong), WFTO Communications Assistant – Intern
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2009 IFAT |