Why? Because the ocean and all its life is dying…and without a healthy ocean, we can’t survive
SHOCK FACT
The Deepwater oil spill actually HELPED marine life recover as it stopped industrial fishing in the area…!
Seems like the whole world has watched Seaspiracy as it stormed up the charts to the No.1 spot on UK Netflix in a few days from release and is now in the top 10 in many countries. If you’ve seen it, scroll down for 2 important big picture actions we can take to protect our oceans. If you haven’t seen it, do so asap - it’s a film everyone should see…you’ll see why. Don’t have Netflix? Don’t miss it, perhaps share the account of someone who does.
Seaspiracy, has shown us that our ocean is far from healthy - it’s dying and at rapid pace. Most of us just didn’t know what was going on out at sea and beneath the surface, did we? The world is reeling in shock. Industrial fishing, like industrial agriculture, is destroying more than the oceans can take and at a terrible cost to marine life. What’s more, the ocean captures 4x more CO2 than the Amazon rainforest and produces 85% of the oxygen we breath. Wow. We need a healthy ocean. We think Seaspiracy’s expose might just have the power to save our seas and the creatures within in it.
As a footnote, the film has come under criticism for its stats not being accurate, with organisations feeling misrepresented and there’s certainly some truth in that. But the thrust of it is clear and is backed up by experts such as Sylvia Earle (the David Attenborough of the oceans). The oceans are in serious peril and if they die, so do we.
So what can I do?
No doubt, we’ll all be deeply reconsidering what we eat and being (even more) aware of the plastic and other waste we throw away. Beyond our lifestyles, there’s also an important point to make. What we have witnessed is not about traditional communities fishing for what they need - in fact their livelihoods have been destroyed by the big conglomerates. These people need our support to fish, and the way to do that is to stand up against big global fishing and horrendous fish farms, forcing governments to take them to task.
So there’s two impactful things we can do to influence the bigger picture:
Sign this important Greenpeace petition to protect our oceans: Governments across the world are starting work on a Global Ocean Treaty. If they get it right, it’ll open the door to a vast network of ocean sanctuaries, which could protect over a third of the world's seas and see them recover and thrive. Greenpeace are calling on the UK Governement to step it up, let’s help them get to 500,000 signatures
Support the work of Sea Shepherd who have been patrolling the seas, enforcing conservation law for 40 years. They work with governments worldwide so well worth it.
We…
Aimee: It’s yet another example of how our ‘efficient’ food systems have gutted earth’s natural resources to a point where it threatens the whole ecosystem, including our survival. My key takeaway was that it’s impossible to regulate what happens out at sea with the current resources dedicated to it so we cannot trust any label that claims fish has been sustainably caught. We need governments to be brave and to look after displaced workers and families so we can transition away from industrial fishing and allow oceans to recover.
Sonia: I was totally traumatised by Seaspiracy, had to watch it in two sittings behind a cushion. 3 things especially hit me between the eyes: the horrendous scale of the slaughter, the criminal deception by trusted marine agencies, and the human exploitation and slavery. Shocking. Also learned the critical role the ocean plays in the future of our planet, so much of which I didn’t know before. Wow. What a film. Evermore thanks to the brave filmmakers who risked their lives to bring this to the world. And power to all of us!
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“Time is short and there is much to be done”