Shocking Facts About Fishing That You Need to Know

Every year, billions of fish are slaughtered for human consumption, with little regard for the suffering caused to the animals or the environmental effects. Since most fishing takes place at sea, it's easy to forget about the issue – out of sight, out of mind. Fishing, on the other hand, has an influence on all of us. Three startling facts about the fishing industry are presented below.

1. ILLEGAL FISHERIES PRODUCE 20% OF ALL FISH: Illegal fishing accounts for up to one-fifth of all globally traded fish. Protected animals are also trapped in large numbers and end up on our dinner plates. People are abused as well as animals: poor people are tricked into illicit fishing by false promises, and once on board, there is no turning back. Former employees say that entire teams were enslaved and forced to work with no pay. On such ships, violence, beatings, and working until exhaustion are commonplace. Workers in these circumstances get very little sleep, and some are still children.

2. THE FISHING INDUSTRY POLLUTES THE Environment: So-called "ghost nets," or nets lost or discarded at sea, account for 10% of the world's plastic waste in the ocean. This discarded fishing gear decomposes slowly and can last for centuries in the oceans. Countless sea creatures get entangled in the nets and perish from hunger or suffocation. Tiny bits of fishing gear are eaten by fish, marine mammals, and birds after the fishing gear has shrunk, causing many of the animals to become ill and die. Plastic ultimately makes its way through the bodies of humans that eat fish. Garbage from fishing has a significant effect on marine environments, which has a significant impact on our environment and climate.

3. FISHLESS OCEANS ARE A REASONABLE HOPE: Large nets used in commercial fishing don't discriminate; they catch everything in their route. As a result, vast numbers of so-called "by-catch" (marine animals that were not the intended "catch target") are thrown overboard, dead or injured. Aquaculture, also known as "fish farms," is a type of overfishing in which tens of thousands of fish are housed together in overcrowded tanks or sea pens. Since the majority of fish raised on farms consume smaller animals, this is the case. Commercial fishing is also used to capture these smaller fish, which are then fed to farmed fish. Up to ten pounds of wild marine animals are caught for every two pounds of farmed fish. If we continue to consume fish at our current pace, scientists expect that by 2048, the oceans will be devoid of fish. This is important because the ocean regulates temperature and produces half of the oxygen we breathe on the planet.

ACT NOW TO CHANGE THINGS: Fishing is an enterprise that abuses the aquatic world and is focused on the brutal mass slaughter of innocent living beings. Furthermore, fishing leads significantly to the loss of our only home! Our voices must be heard in order for the industry's conditions to change. Fish have the same ability to experience pain and feelings as other species, and they need to be protected and valued. Say no to eating fish and turn to better, plant-based options with your buying power. You will be appreciated by both the fish and the environment.

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