Horrific footage of plastic
waste in a dead fish shows how polluted our oceans are and how that pollution
affects wild-caught fish.
A fisherman off the coast of Costa Rica obtained the
disturbing footage, which shows manmade objects, including a plastic
bottle cap, a comb, and even a lighter, being pulled out of a dolphinfish’s
stomach.
Plastic and other pollutants are commonly found in marine
life.
Last year a study by researchers from the University of
Ghent in Belgium found that seafood
eaters ingest up to 11,000 tiny pieces of plastic every year and that dozens
of particles become embedded in their tissue.
According to The Telegraph, “If current trends continue,
by the end of the century people who regularly eat seafood could be consuming
780,000 pieces of plastic a year, absorbing 4,000 of them from their digestive
systems.
More than just plastic waste is killing our oceans. MIT
researchers report that mercury levels in tuna are 10 million times higher than in seawater,
with human activities since the Industrial Revolution to blame. And Swedish scientists recently found that
rising temperatures from climate change could boost mercury levels in fish by
up to seven times the current rates.
Seafood consumption is not only dangerous
for humans and the environment but incredibly cruel to animals.
Despite their capacity to feel pain, the seafood
industry treats fish as mere objects. A Mercy For Animals undercover
investigation at a fish slaughter facility exposed fish being skinned alive.
See for yourself.
The best thing we can do to end our support of the
unhealthy, unsustainable, and cruel fishing industry is to leave fish off our
plates and switch to a compassionate vegan diet. Click here to
get started. And check out these cruelty-free, sea-inspired recipes.