Overfishing, what can we do

Just as the original Blue Planet did 16 years ago, Blue Planet 2 with its breathtaking pictures and perspectives allows us to appreciate the charm of the sea and the wonder of evolution. However, compared with the previous work, the greater shock that this work brings to us comes from the impact of human behavior on the marine ecological environment. With the development of industry and the expansion of population, the impact of mankind on the ocean has not only greatly exceeded any single species in history, but the rate of change brought about by the ocean has also far exceeded any period of natural history except the mass extinction- Global warming during the Paleocene made crocodiles, turtles and turtles almost distributed into the Arctic Circle. At that time, the annual increase in carbon in the air at its peak was only one-fifth of the annual carbon emissions of humans. On the one hand, Blue Planet 2 allows us to see the consequences of human short-sightedness and greed. From the equator to the North Pole, from zooplankton to giant whales, the effects of climate change, plastic pollution and overfishing have penetrated every corner of the ocean. . But at the same time, Blue Planet 2 also allows us to see the efforts of conservationists and the scientific community, and clearly shows that as long as we give the ocean a respite, her tenacity will surprise us all.

After reading this work, as an ordinary person, you may feel a little helpless. After all, in addition to saving water and electricity and reducing the use of disposable plastic products such as straws and plastic bags, it may be difficult for us to influence the decision-making of multinational capital and ZF. The efforts made are somewhat powerless. However, on the issue of overfishing, as consumers as a whole, we are actually at the end of the entire logistics chain. Our choices can indeed bring new hope to some endangered species. China has a large population and is the country with the largest catch and consumption of Shanghai’s products in the world. Our impact on the aquatic environment has directly led to the extinction of baiji, the extinction of shad, and the fishing floods of large yellow croaker and squid among the four marine products of the East China Sea. The disappearance of this issue is self-evident. As the public service advertisement of WWF said, "Stop one, stop them all", through self-discipline and publicity, we can indeed give those creatures a chance.



Shark fin



This is a commonplace talk. It is true that not all sharks are endangered species, but like longfin sharks, smooth reef sharks, roadside hammerhead sharks, hammerhead hammerhead sharks, grooveless hammerhead sharks, arc thresher sharks, basking sharks, It is no accident that the owners of these "precious shark fins" of whale sharks are vulnerable, endangered and even critically endangered without exception. On the other hand, shark fin consumption is definitely not the only damage to sharks. Large primitive rays such as pearfish and sawfish are also the "key care" objects of the shark fin industry, and the status of the animal population is not optimistic.



When talking about the consumption of wild animals, especially precious wild animal products, many people often jump out for the first time and say that this is the pot of high-ranking officials and nobles, and it has nothing to do with ordinary people. People often talk about pangolins and other issues. However, at least according to my personal impression, the ostentatious ostentation of ordinary families in weddings and funerals cannot be solved by a few homemade dishes. I sincerely hope that you can use your words and deeds to influence the consumption concepts of everyone around you, especially the older generation. Shark's fin cooking technology is certainly a cultural tradition, but it doesn’t matter whether the traditional culture is true or not, it must be preserved. The skin will not be left and the hair will be attached. If there is no shark fin soup, it is possible to eat it. It doesn't make a difference (after all, it doesn't taste like), but wouldn't it be too slapped?

Fish Maw/Fish Maw



In many senses, the condition of fish maw is similar to that of shark fin. They are dried sea fish that has no taste and are rich in gelatin. They are also expensive ingredients commonly found in high-end banquets, and they are often placed adjacent to each other on the menu. However, unlike sharks, the desperate situation of fish maw owners is often forgotten by people. Many people don't even know what fish maw and fish maw are. Fish maw is made from the swim bladder of totohead fish, and like shark fin, the bigger the owner of the fish maw, the more expensive the fish maw produced. Large totefish along the coast of our country, such as yellow-lipped fish and brown scorpionfish, died of people’s appetite as they should. Nowadays, yellow-lipped fish are extremely endangered species and are also rated as China’s national second-level protected animals. However, every time a fisherman catches yellow-lipped fish, the majority of media reports that “the fishermen have caught the sky-high golden owl, which is worth millions”. It is really chilling to realize that this is a genuine "water panda".



Just like the pangolin problem, over-exploitation of domestic target species is bound to make the market reach out to overseas. On the other side of the Pacific Ocean, another large totou: Jiawan totou is also fished in large quantities because of its large size. The so-called fire at the gate of the city has affected pond fish because local fishermen (now called local poachers) often use drift nets when catching fish. The fishing of totops is another unique local species-the porpoise. It's the disaster of extinction. Today, the total number of porpoises in Canada is optimistically estimated to be no more than 30, and it is a piece of cake from extinction. Chinese netizens are always emotional every time they see reports about whaling in Japan. However, China is not only directly responsible for the first cetacean baiji that went extinct during the human civilization, but also for the second cetacean that went extinct. Take the main responsibility, this is really a resounding slap in the face. Many people always like to say that it is collagen when eating fish maw, thinking that it has the effect of beauty and beauty. However, collagen is a very, very, very common protein in the animal kingdom. It can also be easily ingested in many home-made meats. Moreover, there is no evidence that intake of more collagen can help the body to synthesize collagen. There are many options for beauty, I think more exercise is good... at least science is useful and harmless...

Tuna



I never deny that tuna is one of my favorite animals. They are cheetahs in the ocean, capable of chasing their prey at speeds up to 80kmh; they are also wildebeests in the ocean, and they can cross the vast North Pacific in just one month. Tuna has a certain temperature ability, which allows them to swim in the deep sea and high latitudes. In the fourth episode of Blue Planet II, the yellowfin tuna made a deep impression on everyone compared to the stormy offensive of the lantern school. However, these powerful ocean wanderers are now the most wanted criminals in the world’s oceans. The tuna and bonito fishing industry brings more profits than any other type of fish. With the innovation of cold chain technology, the changes in Japanese cuisine itself, and its popularity worldwide, large tuna is more expensive than silver. Among them, the number of bluefin tuna (that is, the owner of the big fat and medium fat, Japanese kanji called black tuna, of course, there are other people in Chinese black tuna) fell by 97%, but because of the huge network of interests behind it has always been It is not in the status of CITE Appendix I; and the bigeye tuna, which is its low-end alternative, has been overwhelmed in recent years and has been assessed as a vulnerable species by IUCN. This may also explain why blue fin tuna was still exported on Blue Planet 1 16 years ago, but in Blue Planet 2 16 years later, we only saw yellow fins with relatively good populations. Tuna-but even the shrinkage of its population size, especially its size in recent years, is very important to be aware of



Bluefin tuna is in a more dangerous situation than any large shark, but because of the huge profits behind it, it has never received the attention it deserves. In contrast, due to the collapse of the bluefin tuna population, the tuna fishing fleet nowadays can be said to be armed to the teeth for joint sea and air operations, and it can be easily qualified for the task of capturing submarines with a little armed change to the Second World War. When people talk about tuna, they always think about the quality of sashimi and canned food, but no one thinks of the power and beauty of this animal, which can be replaced by any kind of terrestrial carnivore that is equivalent to its ecological significance. Beasts are hard to imagine.

eel



Many people may not believe this. Isn't the river eel very much? And isn't it artificially farmed? It is true that the current commercially available river eels have completed most of their life history in artificial environments, but the eel seedlings of these eels are without exception from wild catches. In the second episode of Blue Planet 2 in the deep sea, everyone must be impressed. The ancestors of the river eels may also be similar deep-sea animals. Eels are migratory fish that grow in rivers but are born in the sea. Take the Japanese eels sold in my country as an example. The Japanese eels in the entire East Asia region were born in the Mariana Trench east of the Philippines—yes, that’s the deepest place in the world. From there, the larvae of eels eat the ocean snow, ride the ocean currents all the way north, spread to the estuaries of East Asian countries, and slowly grow up there. Eels are extremely long-lived fish that can easily live for a hundred years, and when the time is right, these thin travelers will set off again on a journey to the place where they were born, mate, and die.



The life history of eels determines that they are a very fragile animal. Every year there is a battle of eel fry in the Yangtze River estuary, and fishermen scramble to catch larvae to meet the needs of farmers. More importantly, since the proliferation of its larvae is highly dependent on ocean currents, it will also be relatively sensitive to climate changes. Today, the three types of eels in the north temperate zone: Japanese eels, European eels, and American eels are all endangered or critically endangered species. Of course, this does not mean that the number of wild eels is very small, but more it represents the shrinkage of their population size. After all, eels are extremely reproductive animals. I also know that the braised river eel and kabayaki river eel are delicious, but can't we really wait for a few years?

Seahorse, sea dragon, sea moth fish



Most people probably haven't seen a living seahorse, perhaps even have heard of sea dragons and sea moth fish. But if you go to a Chinese pharmacy, you might be able to read all three types of things. The current population health of hippocampus, sea dragon and sea moth fish is difficult to estimate, but some species are thought to be extinct. The key issue is that the seahorse is really a genuine national secondary protected animal.



I generally don’t follow traditional Chinese medicine, but I really can’t think of why dried small fish can nourish the kidney and promote yang, even if there is a fundamental difference between eating dried seahorse and dried anchovy. Now I search for the keyword seahorse on the Internet, all of which are functions, soaking wine, and the like. I have to admire the backstage of drug dealers when I am speechless. They can sell the national second-level protected animals so blatantly-on the contrary, some ordinary climbers just raise them. An artificially reproduced ball python that is not endangered will suffer all kinds of difficulties. To put it ugly, how can so many people need to replenish their kidneys, even if they do, aren’t they just eating aristolochia?

Puffed Fish Gill



Remember the manta rays in the moonlight in the first episode? Yes, traditional Chinese medicine doesn't even let them go. Puffed fish gills, that is, the gills of manta rays, ghost manta rays, etc., are thought to have the effect of clearing heat and removing fire, and they have become popular in recent years for some reason.



But having said that, is this thing really useful? What are the similarities and differences with silver carp gills in terms of active ingredients? After all, shouldn’t you drink herbal tea for fear of getting angry...→_→

Red Coral



In the second episode, Blue Planet showed us the charm of deep-sea coral reefs, and also let us see the fragility of deep-sea coral reefs in the face of deep-sea trawling operations. As a typical deep-sea coral, red coral has long been rated as a national first-class protected animal, but I don’t know why there are so many red corals circulating in the market, even including many temples.



Having said so much, I think everyone is already clear about it, talking about it. I just hope that everyone who likes this documentary and the sea can also be a little touched, and consciously understand and participate in solving the problem of overfishing. Of course, the marine life threatened by human consumption is more than that. Here I would like to recommend the seafood watch of the Monterey Bay Aquarium and IUCN's rating of the degree of threat to the species. I hope you can eat fish and seafood in the future. Briefly understand whether the fishing methods of this species are responsible and sustainable. In modern society, fishery and forestry together represent our final direct claim for wild animal and plant resources, which are of extremely important significance to the economy and culture. Human beings will remain an important part of the food chain in the foreseeable future. As a seafood lover, I have no right to let everyone give up eating fish altogether. However, nature is after all borrowed by us for future generations, and we are obligated to be responsible for our future. Shark fin sashimi is delicious, but the consumption of these fragile natural resources sparingly allows us to have the opportunity to enjoy them in future generations. Wouldn't it be beautiful?

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