The effects of indifference…
My first attempt at an online petition turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. With only five signatures (but a big, big “Thank You” to those five!), the petition lacked any significance and could not have imposed any resistance to the Iccat‘s decision to maintain its current catch quotas of Bluefin. Two major factors impeded the petition’s performance. The first factor, which I will explore further in a future post, is the primary reason: lack of time in which to implement the petition due to the inability to acquire information in a timely manner. The second factor, which I will explore now, is the more personally troubling one and the reason Iccat did not take the necessary action: human indifference to this ecologically disastrous situation.
For years, the ecological community has released dire, apocalyptic warnings regarding the demise of our oceans’ ecosystem. Citing pollution, overfishing and global warming as the three major causes, major peer-reviewed studies have provided a sound basis for the implementation of new policies regarding how we engage with our major bodies of water (see Further Reading). Yet, countries around the world continue a status quo approach to the maintenance of our oceans. In regards to overfishing, the Iccat‘s resolution to retain current quotas for Bluefin harvesting in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic illustrates this trend.
Any quick search on overfishing will invariably cite the destruction of the Bluefin as exemplary of poor judgment on par with the near destruction (and subsequent acquiescence) of the American Bison; a horrific moment in environmental history and counter to our sensibilities. Nevertheless, the bourgeois markets of the world desire this fish as part of a nouveau, culinary diet driven by the popularity of sushi and the desire for healthier land-based-meat alternatives. Coupled with Japan insatiable diet for all things underwater, the industrialized world’s increasing demand for fish runs counter to sustainability. Thus, only a decrease in demand combined with active participation in policy-making can reverse this devastation.
Education, therefore, is key in not only illuminating the negligence involved within the global fishing market (see Further Reading) but also in demystifying our perceptions of fishing in general. With a few exceptions, today’s fishing resembles an assembly line at sea. Baited long-lines can stretch for miles (see examples here) and nets pulled between two ships can fit multiple football pitches within their circumference. Bluefin “are fattened offshore in sea cages before being shot and butchered for the sushi and steak markets in Japan, America, and Europe” (Montaigne 2007 link here). The days of the “Old Man and the Sea” are over.
Fortunately, as part of the industrial bourgeois, I feel we have the luxury to change and influence. For many of us, we have the ability to choose what we eat and the time to expand our knowledge on these subjects. Truly, we are the ones fucking up. We are the only ones who can rectify this. See below for links for information on what we can do to help solve this problem. Also, look for a section on this sight for new petitions taking on this issue as well as others in the near future.
Further Reading:
BBC article on Iccat’s recent decision here.
Canada’s Federal Fisheries Minister’s reaction to the Iccat decision here
Australian Article on Tuna Fishing here
Excellent National Geographic Article cited above here
Great New York Times article here
Article on Japan’s fishing demand here
Journal Abstracts from Science: here and here
What We Can Do:
Excellent site on Overfishing including links to fish-eating guides:
Tags: overfishing, environment, iccat, politics, bluefin
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