Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Bycatch

     Commercial fishing leads to overfishing and also bycatch. Bycatch happens every day in the world of commercial fishing. Millions of pounds of bycatch are discarded every year back in to the oceans. Turtles, sharks, dolphins, and other marine mammals lead the list of unwanted bycatch. The unwanted bycatch from the commercial fishing is thrown dead back in to the ocean. Even worse the juvinilles are caught and killed, leaving nothing left to reproduce of the species. Some efforts have been made to make pathways for turtles to swim out but that is all. Bycatch is a big component and unfortunate side effect of commercial fishing with longlines and bottom trawling. STAND UP FOR THE PROTECTION OF MARINE LIFE!

Need to Act Now(Bluefin)

     With the prices of Bluefin tuna growing so has the demand for the fish. More and more company's and commercial fishing operations are seeking out this giant beast. Migrations that used to be considered highways for tuna have now become tuna death traps... with rows and rows of nets, hooks and boats lining the waters on which the tuna travel. This is mostly fueled by the demand for the tuna in Asian markets, specifically Japan who intakes the most tuna mainly for sushi. Don't get me wrong I LOVE sushi but I want sushi for years to come, not just for the next five years.
     We need to act now to preserve this truly magnificent fish! Last year the U.S. put its first "quota" on the Pacific bluefin population that it catches. However 90% of other countries don't have any such quota or legal limit. They are too caught up with making money in the short term instead of bracing and preparing for the long term use. The government's of these countries need to collaborate with fish protection agencies and come up with a "fish friendly" solution to the problem.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

State of the Bluefin Tuna

While looking over a recent study done and posted in a science journal I encountered a horrible find. Compiling all the numbers from captain's logs and fish houses we found out just how much the Pacific Bluefin Tuna has been overfished. The lowest estimate has it that their population is now just 5% of what it used to be!!! Yes only 5% of what it was... People know that the bluefin are becomming rare and are doing nothing about it. A 489lb bluefin just sold for 1.76million dollars. There are no laws in most countries to stop the mayhem of commercial overfishing. Spread the Word!

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Enough is Enough!!

         The epidemic of overfishing in the oceans of the world is led by industrial-sized commercial fishing that is decimating fisheries and needs to be more strictly regulated and/or stopped immediately!
          Commercial fishing operations like the one pictured above are taking too many fish out of the ocean too quick. Fish stockss are at an all-time low with many stocks being severely depleted or even commercially extinct.
           If drastic measures aren't taken soon then the whole marine ecosystem is in danger of being restructured and/or even extinct in time.