Diving into the 55-degree water, I didn't know what to expect. I was hoping to see a blue fin, a lot of bluefin tuna.
Bluefin are some of the biggest and baddest fish in the ocean. They can grow to 15 feet long, weigh over 1,000 pounds, and swim up to 50 miles per hour when pursuing prey. Like tigers or lions, they are fierce predators that play a critical role in the ecosystem.
Most people don't have the opportunity to see an animal like this in the wild. I got to, because I've teamed up with several organizations -- Nautica, an international ocean conservation group called Oceana, and GQ's Gentlemen's Fund (an initiative that encourages men to become agents of change by supporting charities important to them) -- to shoot a PSA about bluefin. I'm no marine biologist -- just an actor who loves to dive and loves the ocean. Our goal was to get close enough to film with them, and that is very hard to do, because they are so fast. You see them, and then they are just gone. It is clear why they are among the ocean's top predators.
Unfortunately, bluefin are also among our top prey these days. Too many of us love to eat them -- particularly as sushi or sashimi. To satisfy our appetite, the fishing industry has developed better and faster techniques for catching bluefin. The tuna industry has also adopted the practice of catching juveniles and "fattening" them in large pens out on the open ocean. The removal of these fish from the wild before they are able to spawn is rapidly becoming one of the biggest threats to their survival.
The end result? An ocean with fewer and fewer bluefin. This amazing creature, according to many experts, is now teetering on the edge of complete collapse.
The international group that oversees the Atlantic bluefin fishing business is about to hold its annual meeting in Paris. But this group, the International Convention to Conserve Atlantic Tunas, has too often ignored its own scientists' recommendations for setting responsible tuna quotas. An independent body commissioned to review the organization has called it "an international disgrace."
Earlier this year, several nations were calling for a total ban on fishing for Atlantic bluefin tuna. ICCAT could at least follow scientists' recommendations to cut way back on bluefin fishing, allowing this incredible creature the chance to thrive.
The path ICCAT is currently on leads to the extinction of one of the great ocean predators and an uncertain future for the marine ecosystem.
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Paul Erlich, the activist and evolutionary biologist, spoke of this phenomenon as "rivet-popping", as in you can pop one rivet in an airplane, and it will problably still hold together; but, the more rivets you po, the more likely it becomes that the airplane will falla part. The airplane was his metaphor for the ecosystem. Even Rachel Carson in "Silent Spring" warned of this issue. What will it take for our leaders to take this SERIOUSLY?
It's a proven fact that bluefin tuna contain the highest amount of mercury than any other type of tuna. And tuna, in general already contain incredibly high amounts, considering where they sit on the food chain.
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So basically, that sushi roll or tuna fish sandwich, or even that McFish sandwich from McDonalds that so many people enjoy, could very well be poisoning our brains with mercury; mercury poisoning is no joke, and it's just as bad or worse than, lead poisoning.
It would be interesting to see how high the mercury levels are in the members of the supposed "Tea Party movement."
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Adrian, a good piece but short on the next step. I already know I won't eat bluefin; I think yellowtail (my former fav) is also in trouble. Sad thing is we CAN live without the buttery taste of these great sea creatures, but can the oceans live without them? It would appear not.
We are leaving such a sad legacy to future generations. I am sorry.
Speak for yourself. The article makes me feel hungry.
Big Macs for everyone!
Smaller fish are better, if one chooses to eat fish.
You can get a higher concentration of omega fatty acids from Hemp Seed Oil, rather than Fish Oil. Fish Oil tends to make a person smell like fish. I haven't found that happening to me with Hemp Seed Oil.
the other side says its "terrible horrible and every species neeeds to be saved for this and that and the other reason"
oh yeah and just think of all the new species being discovered.. in some way shape or form life will go one. so lets let bygones be bygones and let nature take its course. we humans and our actions are forces of nature u know... we are earthlings aren't we? we are made of natural organic stuff huh? yup.
life will go on. until the sun does something wacky or some chemical erruption comes from the core of the earth. either way not our fault. so there.
We are just doing what comes naturally. Its evolution at work. Survival of the fittest.
Natural selection will work its will. Why do so many people hate nature?
I applaud you for giving up shrimp (it was hard for me when I did it as they're so tasty). Generally it's tough to find any that are environmentally friendly. Farmed shrimp have issues the same as farmed fish and most other shrimp are caught by net trawling. Basically the fishermen drag a net across the bottom of the ocean scooping up whatever is in it's path. They separate out the usable food animals and toss any bycatch overboard. It's quite disruptive to the ocean floor ecosystems.
If you can find trap caught shrimp it's a decent alternative, but it's a lot less common and I guarantee any restaurant you go to isn't going to know if their shimp is trap caught even if it is.
Good luck too on your quest after veganism. I'm a vegetarian, but I have to admit that cheese is one thing I'm not sure I can give up. ;)
Personally, I stopped eating all seafood in 2003 after reading Richard Ellis' fantastic (and frightening) book, The Empty Ocean (he also chronicles the decline of the bluefin in his more recent Tuna: A Love Story, BTW).
Enforcing sensible fishing practices worldwide is something that needs to be tackled by the global community before the havoc we wreak becomes irreversible.
PR - McKinleyille, CA
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The only reason the earth is currently supporting over 6 billion people is because we found ways to integrate petroleum and other chemicals into our food production. As that begins to break down we will have starvation beyond what any of us can comprehend.