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12/8/2019

Sustainable Fishing...And Other Distractions from Progress

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​There were strong reactions to my footage of sharks being offloaded by fishermen in South Africa (that video can be found at the bottom of this post) and it made me wonder about the things we choose to accept and the things we choose to condemn, because that footage doesn't hold a candle to fishing I've seen in the United States.  And sadly, I know I haven't witnessed anything close to the true horror of industrial fishing.
​But to watch dumpsters full of dead sharks unloaded nonstop for an hour from a boat that we consider "small"...an operation we refer to as "small scale"...a practice with the label "sustainable"...is a chance to ask if we are honest with ourselves at all and how willing we are to look the other way rather than consider changing.
Consider how many games and distractions we are offered to focus on rather than considering the only solution that is guaranteed to actually help.
Examples:

"Make sure you are buying from a sustainable source." 
As if any of us knows how to investigate that other than taking the distributor for their word. As if 'sustainable' isn't a shockingly abused term that has no real meaning in the first place. Instead of playing that game we COULD just stop consuming any potential product of the destructive industry. But we won't.
"Cutting edge research is looking into ways to reduce by-catch". 
Great, someone is doing research, so I guess we can go back to our usual destructive behavior.  OR we could just stop consuming products that support the destruction of our oceans.  But we won't.
"New research attempts to reduce fishing debris entanglements." 
OR we could stop contributing to the industry.
"New research will try to limit fishing vessels during certain times of the year"
(even as more fishing licenses are sold to other countries to rape the ocean).  OR we could stop participating in the destruction.
"New regulations attempted for super trawlers"
Super trawler shouldn't exist. Period. 
"A shark fin ban will undermine the shark fishing industry" (even as shark populations slip toward extinction globally).  Yes, that's an actual argument from a 'shark scientist' employed by the department of commerce. Good ol' David Shiffman.  
  • "New hooks are being tested..."
  • "New migration data reveals..."
  • "New petition attempted..."
  • "New methods could reduce whale collisions..."
  • "CITES lists another endangered species (that will be ignored)..."
  • "Mercury level tests suggest new results..."
  • "New types of fish farms might not be as harmful in the future..."
  • "Data suggests orcas might be plagued by noise pollution, not starvation..."
  • "Dolphins and seals are eating too many fish..."

The list could continue as long as I was willing to retype all the different headlines out there that enable us to keep eating from our depleted ocean while feeling better about it.  The lesson here is that would rather listen to these things than give up something we enjoy.  The bottom line is that we aren't willing to give up something we don't even require for the sake of the ocean's future.  That says everything anyone ever needed to know about why the planet is doomed.  
​The answer to our salvation won't be found in a peer-reviewed scientific paper unless that paper reveals the cure for human selfishness and greed.

Stop playing the consumer game and start being part of the solution.  As the New York times was bold enough to recently state, "The only way to save the ocean is to stop eating fish".
Picture
#fish #fishing #sharkfishing #bycatch #sustainable #sustainablefishing #capecod #chatham #ocean #oceanrape #oceanhealth #overfishing #smallscale #shiffman #noaa #cites #whalestrikes #whaleentanglement

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  • Shark Blog
    • Watching Humans Blog
  • Monsters
  • About
    • Monsters - Project Overview
  • Education / Events
    • Presentations
    • Bookings
    • Feedback
    • Past Events >
      • Shark Night
      • Sharktoberfest 2018
      • Surfrider Sharktober 2018
      • Surfrider Foundation (San Mateo Chapter)
      • Night Life 2013 "Killer Personalities"
      • 7 Teepees
      • Great White Lies San Francisco Premiere
      • SF March Against the Cull
      • Great White Night 2012
      • Night Life 2011
      • Gentlemen's Club
      • Scuba Squad Divers
      • Sharks and Beer
      • Launch Party / Fundraiser
      • Of Whale and Man
    • FALSE CONSERVATION >
      • OCEARCH >
        • OCEARCH OVERVIEW
        • Internal Damage
        • Fin Damage >
          • Frodo's Fin Damage Timeline
        • OCEARCH's Pregnant Shark Not Pregnant
        • Science...without the Science
        • OCEARCH Videos >
          • Sinking Away
          • Not Stressed
          • Charlie Rose 1
          • Dorsal Fin Damage
          • PAT tags VS. SPOT tags
          • Tagging Options
          • Message to Australia
  • Videos
    • Stupid Things People Say About Sharks
    • Racism and Sharks
    • Connection
    • 360s Drones and Sharks
    • Footage Licensing
    • Tiger Shark Vs. Turtle
    • Guadalupe Cage Dive Guide
    • minioncam
    • Guadalupe White Sharks 2018
    • Product Reviews
    • Interviews >
      • Guadalupe 2018 Interview
      • Andre Rerekuru
      • RodneyFox
      • Chris Neff >
        • Cape Cod Cull
      • WalterBernardis
    • SharkMinutes
    • Kid Friendly >
      • Blueprint
    • Feature Films >
      • Monsters >
        • Enterprise Documentary Fund
      • Great White Lies >
        • Film Festivals >
          • Dropbox Links Great White Lies
    • Short Films >
      • Victory Over Sharks
      • Mothers and Children
      • Sentience
      • Elasmo
      • Shark Rescue
      • Balance
      • Shark Affection
      • Purpose
      • To Touch a Killer
      • Swimming In Shark Alley
      • White Shark Behavior: Part 1
      • Connection
      • Farallon Islands
      • Sustainable
      • Fear
    • Quick Bites >
      • Nurse Shark Barbels in Slow Motion
      • Do Sharks Get Cancer?
      • Sydney Harbor Video of White Shark is Fake
      • White Shark Swallows Tuna in One Bite
      • Gentle Biting and Ram Ventilation
      • Hammerhead Love
      • Seal Swims Leisurely Around White Sharks
      • Great White High Five
      • Petting a Nurse Shark
      • White Shark Tail Narrowly Misses Woman
      • Shark Shart ( Great White takes a shit )
      • WSV Preview
    • Elasmo >
      • Elasmo 0
      • Elasmo 1 and 2
      • Elasmo 3
      • Elasmo 3 Short Version
      • Elasmo 4 (Blue Sharks)
      • Elasmo 5 - Great hammerheads
      • White Dream (short)
    • Surf >
      • Surfing With Sharks - Wayne Lynch
      • California >
        • Jetty, Half Moon Bay, 2/16/14
    • The Price of Existence >
      • Criminalizing Natural Behavior
      • Price of Existence Excerpts with Chris Fallows
      • Dr. Neil Hammerschlag Explains Responsible Drum Lining
      • Price of Existence Trailer
      • Global Opposition to the Cull
      • Daniel Wolfe Interview Exerpt
    • Outtakes >
      • Surfer Interview Outtake
      • Avoiding Gansbaai
      • The Bag Boy
    • Samples
    • Videos from Others >
      • Good Vids >
        • White Shark Research in New Zealand
        • The Shark Man (60 Minutes)
        • Baby White Shark Caught
      • Bad Vids >
        • All that is wrong with Discovery wrapped up in one vid