Showing posts with label Fish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fish. Show all posts

Friday, May 1, 2015

Hope is not lost

4:24 PM
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An article about a 1.5 ton Sunfish, was recently published on the Dailymail. Some Indonesian fishermen found the animal stranded on the shore, and promptly tried to rescue it, by returning it to the see. It soon swept back in with the tide, dead.

Although this story may not have a happy ending, it gives me great hope. While reading it I couldn't help feeling the utmost respect and admiration for these fishermen. Unfortunately there aren't too many people out there, like them. But their actions mean all is not lost. 

Monday, March 30, 2015

Concerning Fish: Of course.

11:00 PM
Recently, GreenPeace has released a video criticizing the purse-seining industry (for tuna). Apparently, purse-seinning companies aren't happy about it. They claim that it is highly biased. Well of course they will! What else would they do?

Sit back and, be oh, right, we have a whole bunch of bycatch, whatevs. NO! Of course not! They will obviously counter GreenPeace's claims. Is this not human nature?

Whether or not either argument has significant value, I am currently unsure. However, what I will agree with, is bycatch must at all costs, be limited. Even if the purse-seining community contributes little to this issue (which is highly unlikely) it contributes! You know what happens when dozens, hundreds, or thousands of industries do the same thing? We end up with a problem. Common sense no? It seems not. When will people understand that if you do something, it is likely thousands, or millions of others do the same thing? And just as 1+1=2, 1+1,000,000 others = 1,000,001. If that makes any sense.

Flickr (labeled for reuse)

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Ridiculing the ridiculous: "I don't like fish, so who cares if there'regone"

5:28 PM
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I'm starting a new series called: ridiculing the ridiculous. Which is a series by me, rebutting, frankly absurd comments. These lines are often the ones that catch us out, they are so utterly stupid and said in complete ignorance that we fail to come up with an argument. Not because we can't prove them wrong, but because we are caught off guard with the sheer naïveté.

"I don't like fish, so I don't care if they're gone."

So I assume you don't like dolphins, sharks, seals, bears, birds, or in fact anything else that lives and breathes? Indeed why should you care? It's only the stake of the planet you're talking about. Ever seen the Lion King? Remember the opening song? It's the circle of life. Ring any bells? Recall that everything is connected please. So remove all fish what are you left with? Well I'd like you to fill in the gaps. How's that dream of going to Fiji treating you?

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Concerning Fish: Hehem.

3:00 AM
I think it's about time to refine our question. We've asked: how can we stop overfishing? And the answer: well I dearly hope it's rather obvious to you, stop (or at least decrease) fishing. Common sense, no? Alright, we know the answer to question one. And guess what? Fish stocks are going up. Finally.
Now guess what all the industries are demanding? Higher quotas. Hehem. Do you see the fatal flaw in this logic? I've even talked about it in other posts. So if you truly don't know the answer, feel free to read them. Anyway, perhaps the more essential question we should be asking is; how do we make people actually care about fish- beyond as a food source. 
Now you understand the fundamental issue, people simply don't care about fish. Why? Well, I'm not entirely certain. 
I guess they aren't fluffy: well neither are dolphins.
They live in a medium unavailable to humans: neither do birds or dolphins. 
So in conclusion, I don't know. All I do know, we need to change this mind set. Otherwise we will remain in a perpetual cycle of unsustainable fishing and overfishing. Think of it like a yoyo diet. Not healthy, and at the end of the day thoroughly useless.

Wikimedia commons (labeled for reuse)

Friday, March 20, 2015

Concerning Fish: It's their livelihood. What's your excuse?

9:15 AM
One billion people rely on fish: whether that be as a food source, income, or both. Let me repeat that, one billion. This rant doesn't apply to anyone part of that one billion. Now calculate in probably another 1-2 billion people who also eat fish.
Personally, I eat fish. However, for the most part I try to eat fresh-water fish, and purchase fish from sustainable species, and packages that have been approved by Marine Stewardship Council. However, I could still reduce my consumption, currently I eat fish probably less than once a week. Anyone who eats fish as anything other than a necessity (whether that be for a living or a food source), is a contributor to overfishing.
The majority of people who rely on fish, continue with traditional fishing: methods that have been thriving for thousands of years. These methods, ranging from spearfishing to hand-fishing, are for all extensive purposes sustainable. People who utilize these methods are limited in their catch, and their methods are highly selective: meaning that everything that is caught is used. Unlike the highly unsustainable fishing practiced by developed countries.
It has reached a point where these fish reliant communities are struggling to survive.
We don't only disrespect fish. We disrespect people less fortunate. People who've lived off the sea for thousands of years, are now struggling to feed themselves and their families.

 "We will never have true civilization until we have learned to recognize the rights of others." ~Will Rogers

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Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Concerning Fish (in general): Think this through...

5:33 PM
Once again, industries are demanding a change in fish quotas with increasing fish stocks. Well let's think about this proposal, shall we?

For years and years we've driven fish populations down into the ditch, then with much reluctance some countries decide to impose quotas. And guess what? They WORK. Why else would they have been suggested?!?!? Guess what industries want to do now? Increase fishing quotas. Do you understand what that will do to fish populations? Plummet them right back down to the dark ages. Why? Because more fish are being fished! Again!

I am astounded.

Save the fish y'all- yup still, no.

Wikimedia commons (labeled for reuse)

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Concerning Fish: "Nobody cares about fish."

8:34 PM
"Nobody cares about fish," it certainly seems that way. I read this article a couple minutes ago: Trout of order! Fish brutally stabbed with Swiss Army Knife sparks outrage. Yes it should spark outrage. My goodness. What goes through people's minds? Someone decided that the thing to do was stab a knife into the back of a trout, this trout was still alive mind you, swimming along in the river. WHY. That is the question I must ask. WHY? What could this action possibly achieve? Why do people take such an issue with fish? First the majority of the population couldn't care less about their fate in terms of overfishing, and now apparently some people believe it acceptable to stab them in the back.

This is an act of animal cruelty. Yes it's a fish! I don't care if you don't like fish. Are fish my favorite animal? No. Do I care about them? With a burning passion. Just because it doesn't look like you or me doesn't mean it doesn't deserve respect. When in our history did we reach the conclusion that animals are below us? Something to be used, extorted, tortured, and abused? Although, this article angers me, it gives me immense hope. According to it, people were enraged with this act of cruelty, so I guess the number of people who actually care about fish is rising.

Fish deserve the same respect and consideration as shark, dolphin, horse, or panda. If I have to plaster a picture of a panda on a blue-fin tuna, I will (as long as it doesn't harm their way of living).

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