The latest brutally truthful documentary to come to Netflix, Seaspiracy, is an eye-opener that has only one conclusion, we need to stop consuming fish altogether. The amount of destruction that is shown in the documentary is scarring to watch. From animals to humans, this problem is affecting the world massively and it's way bigger than we are made aware of and it is brought to our attention that even those who are supposed to be trustworthy sources are not telling the whole truth.
Trust
Large environmental organizations are traced and found to have connections and business deals within the fishing industry which therefore makes the data construed to benefit the companies doing the most damage. They are labelling goods with approved and certified safety standards yet have no proof that the products abide by these rules or any evidence that sustainable fishing is even possible at all. We are putting our trust into these regulatory bodies and this documentary has proved we should think again.
Plastic Pollution
Plastic straws mean little to nothing in impact when compared with the effect of fishing nets and equipment that pollute the sea which seems to be covered up by these smaller publicity campaigns. Animals are often washed up to shore and found with their stomachs full of plastic rubbish. The amount of plastic in the sea has resulted in high rates of microplastics found in the fish that we buy and consume from the supermarkets.
Mass Killing
They learn about topics such as 'bycatching', where the fishing nets catch more than what is intended for hunting and resulting in the death of these animals for no purpose (such as sharks, turtles and seabirds amongst a catch for Tuna) and the mass killing of dolphins who act as competition for fish. The mass killing of the predators of the sea creates a boom in the population of the fish they would usually hunt. This is an issue because the rise in their numbers wipes out the fish they eat which leaving them with no food and eventually leading to extinction.
Human Rights
Some boats use slave labour to cut down their company costs and keep prices down. Workers are kept in awful, unimaginable conditions with no escape. The documentary has been brought to us through massive risks taken by the researchers who film their discoveries on their journey to investigate what is really going on and what is hidden from a worldwide audience. Many individuals who have tried to expose the wrongdoings of the industry in the past have found themselves against the odds and have risked their lives for the truth.
Time For Change
Often a pescatarian diet is advised if you wanted to reduce your meat intake and wanted to be more caring to the environment, but there was not enough information out there to suggest that this is a better alternative. At the current rate that the fishing industry is going, the seas are predicted to be fishless by 2048. The best thing you could possibly do to protect the seas is to stop eating fish.
The vegan industry is growing rapidly and alternatives to meat and fish are just getting more inventive. Click the links below to recipes for vegan alternative recipes for your favourite mealtime fish dishes.
The amazing online supermarket Planet Organic has plenty of impressive ready-made fish options for you to try, check them out below.