Fisheries are known to cause environmental degradation and suffering for billions of fish. If that weren’t enough, a recent Oceana study, “Wasted Catch: Unsolved Bycatch Problems in U.S. Fisheries,” has found that these same fisheries could also be driving the extinction of other aquatic animals like dolphins, sea turtles, and whales.
An article in “The Daily Beast” reports that the study reveals nine filthy U.S. fisheries that are responsible for half of all “by catch” — sea animals who are unintentionally caught and unwanted by the fisheries.
According to the article, “At the dirtiest fishery, Southeast Snapper-Grouper Longline Fishery, 66 percent of the animals caught are discarded — a number that includes more than 400,000 sharks in just one year.”
It further states that due to wide-reaching nets, “catches are unintentionally trapping and killing thousands of unwanted bait. It’s a problem that is crippling the efforts of ocean conservationists nationwide.”
With commercial fisheries as one of the largest threats to conservation of fish populations and vital aquatic ecosystems, there’s never been a better time to ditch fish. For more information on transitioning to a fish-free diet, check out ChooseVeg.com and order your free “Vegetarian Starter Guide.”
