Thank you for covering the death of the sharks due to abandoned nets.
I applaud Dominick Martin-Mayes, Mark Elliott and the divers for removing the abandoned net that killed these sharks, and the Koerners for all their hard work cleaning up the waters every year. I just believe it is equally important to address the systemic issues that contribute to this problem of ghost gear.
While all this individual work is crucial for mitigating the damage, we are ultimately treating the symptoms, not the disease. A truly effective solution requires a critical examination of our consumption habits and our looking away from fish to plant-based aquaculture alternatives.
Especially when you consider fish and crustaceans are not even healthy anymore as not only are they full of lead, mercury, thallium and organic compounds PCB and PCDD, but also study after study shows fish oil fails to protect against heart attacks or dementia and high levels of omega-3 fatty acids increased men’s risk of developing prostate cancer.
And I understand the jobs involved in fishing but many countries around the world are now harvesting seaweed, duckweed and kelp, all of which are high in protein, omega-3s and omega-6s.
These plant-based farming industries can provide jobs for decades to come as the farms are sustainable, humane and environmentally friendly. To paraphrase the old adage: An ounce of prevention is worth a ton of ghost gear.
Thank you again for covering this issue.
