Last week, I talked about the growing problem of overfishing, and how it effects both wildlife around the world and ourselves. So now that we know what the problem is, how exactly can we solve it? Well, it goes without saying that it can't be solved by just one person, but this doesn't mean we should give up hope. If we all make simple changes to our lifestyles, and to what products we purchase, we can ensure that overfishing becomes a problem of the past. However, before we start talking about what exactly these changes are, we need to fully understand the position we are in as consumers and individuals.
Who Holds the Power?
(I talked about this subject in a previous post, which you can check out here. However, because it relates directly to this topic, I find it important to reiterate)
When talking about big-name problems such as Climate Change, Deforestation, and Overfishing, it is often thought that individuals like us have no power. After all, in the end it's the companies that choose how much they contribute, right? Well, while this does have a certain element of truth, it isn't entirely true, and here's why:
Companies like fisheries and logging groups look to make the biggest profit they can. In most cases, this is done by appealing to their consumers. By creating a product that people will want to buy, they maximize their profits. Simple! However, this strategy gives the consumers a lot of power, as if they realize that companies use this strategy, they can change their preferences, and in turn change what products the companies make. So, for example, if consumers were to only buy sustainably sourced wood, it would force logging companies make that wood sustainable. Easy! The same goes for fisheries.
But I'm Just One Person!
Yes, that is true. We are only a few people in a seemingly endless human population. However, this does NOT mean we can't make a difference. Sure, if ONLY one person decides to change what they're doing, that may not have much of an effect. But if that one person talks to three other people, and convinces them to change, and they talk to three others, and those people talk to three others, suddenly it isn't just one person working to make a difference, it's thousands or maybe even millions. So yes, just making a change by yourself may not make much difference, but that combined with convincing others to make the same changes will.
Now For The Solutions...
Anyway, now that we understand the fact that we can make a difference, it's time talk about some actual solutions to this problem. And there are a lot. Some are easy, some are hard, and each of them are better suited for different people. So, I chose to list all the ones I personally like, in no particular order. I really encourage anyone to try their best to implement these solutions into their lifestyles, as they all really help. Here is the list:
(Big thanks to therevolutionmovie.com for providing the information used in this section)
1. Cut fish out of your diet- this is one of the most drastic solutions to overfishing, but it makes the most difference. There is no way you contribute to overfishing if you just don't eat fish! However, there is one caveat to this method, as you still need to make sure that you get the nutrients you would normally get from fish. Nutrients such as Omega 3 are commonly found in fish, and are important for your health, so you need to make sure you get them through other means.
2. Avoid eating big fish- if you still want to eat fish on a regular basis, there are still many ways you can help to stop overfishing. One of these ways is to avoid eating big fish like marlin, tuna, and shark. These types of fish have been over-hunted and overfished for years, so avoiding them helps a lot. If these types of fish don't sell very well, many companies will stop capturing them and selling them in the first place.
3. Purchase fish with the MSC Logo- the MSC, or Marine Stewardship Council, is a company that certifies certain companies and their fish as sustainable. When purchasing fish, make sure to look for their blue logo (pictured to the left), as this guarantees the fish you are buying has been sourced responsibly. You can check out the MSC website and learn more about their logo by clicking here.
4. Use the seafood watch app- this app is a great choice for anyone looking to find sustainable seafood. It does numerous things, from giving sustainable recipes, to helping you find restaurants that have sustainably caught seafood, to even giving you helpful advice and statistics on the problem of overfishing. If you would like to download the app, you can visit their website here.
5. Ask!- if you are ever uncertain about whether or not the seafood you are buying is sustainable or not, whether it be in a restaurant or at the grocery store, it never hurts to ask.
6. Tell a friend- as mentioned earlier, movements like these only spread if we tell others about them. A huge way you can help is by telling a friend (or two) about what they can do to help stop overfishing, and encourage them to tell other people they know. This method can make a lot of difference in a surprisingly short amount of time.
7. Support national organizations- finally, you can support organizations that help solve overfishing by donating your time or money. Many of them use this money to fund various campaigns and projects aimed at saving marine wildlife. Here are a few of the most notable and respected:
Greenpeace
The Environmental Defense Fund
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
World Wildlife Fund
Conclusion
So, these changes do seem small, but they make a whole lot of difference when we actually start to incorporate them into our lifestyles. Even if you love to eat fish, there are still plenty of things you can do to help stop overfishing. I would argue that the most important of these solutions is to let other people know about this problem. After all, one person can only do so much, but if everyone knows about overfishing and wants to help, we can really make a huge difference. If you would like to learn even more about what you can do to help stop overfishing, make sure to check out the links below, as they provided a lot of the information used in this post and have a lot more I didn't have space to discuss. Thanks for reading.
All credit for information goes to the following:
http://therevolutionmovie.com/index.php/open-your-eyes/overfishing/solutions/
http://www.seashepherd.org/
http://www.seafoodwatch.org/
https://www.msc.org/
http://thestrongmovement.com/fishy-businesswhy-you-should-be-eating-wild-caught-fish/
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/oceans/fit-for-the-future/overfishing/
Images:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/22/world/oceans-overfishing-climate-change/index.html
http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/oceans/
http://blogs.volunteermatch.org/volunteeringiscsr/2015/03/17/employee-volunteerism-why-not-all-companies/
http://libguides.colorado.edu/c.php?g=400721&p=2724808
http://therougecollection.net/therouge/why-you-only-need-1-person-to-believe-in-you/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/richardandgill/4531140247/
https://www.homenaturalcures.com/health-benefits-tuna-fish/
http://bedrift.norwayseafoods.com/text.cfm?path=538,555&lid=1
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.montereybayaquarium.seafoodwatch
http://simpsonu.edu/Pages/Misc/Tell-A-Friend/index.htm
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55VqeYnrIFY
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