My Tarnished Sunset, No Thanks to Longliners
Esther Jacobs ??
Conservation Storyteller ~ Advocate for Nature ~ Aquaphile ~ A Scot in South Africa ????????
There’s something deeply special about watching the sun rise and set over Mossel Bay—moments that ground me in the beauty of our natural world. But lately, these moments have become bittersweet. Just offshore, longline fishing vessels mar the horizon, their destructive practices casting a shadow over our marine ecosystem.
Longliners deploy fishing lines over 100 kilometres long, laden with thousands of baited hooks. Sharks are their primary targets, but the toll doesn’t stop there. Seabirds, turtles, and dolphins often meet the same fate, caught as bycatch in this devastating practice.
Accountability: Who Bears the Blame?
The crew aboard these vessels work tirelessly under tough conditions, often just trying to survive. The real accountability lies with the system - the weak fisheries management and permissive policies that allow these harmful practices to persist.
However, as consumers, we have a vital role to play. Our demand fuels this market. Every purchase of unsustainably sourced seafood or shark meat perpetuates this cycle. Sharks, essential to maintaining healthy ocean ecosystems, are being decimated at rates they cannot recover from, and their meat contains harmful toxins like mercury, posing risks to human health.
Protecting Our Sharks and Oceans
Sharks are vital to the health of our oceans, yet they face an existential threat. It’s on all of us to step up. Make a pledge today to ensure your seafood choices are sustainable and never include shark meat. Support better fisheries management and advocate for marine conservation efforts.
Our sunsets should remain a source of inspiration, not a reminder of what we’ve lost. Let’s ensure the future of Mossel Bay - and the species that call it home - is brighter.
Sustainable Seafood Choices
Choosing sustainable seafood is a critical step toward conserving marine biodiversity and supporting healthier oceans. Below are tailored resources for South Africa, the UK, and the US to help guide responsible seafood decisions.
South Africa
WWF- SASSI (South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative) WWF-SASSI's traffic light system categorizes seafood species as Best Choice, Think Twice, or Avoid, based on sustainability. Their tools make it easy for South African consumers to identify responsible seafood options.
United Kingdom
Good Fish Guide by the Marine Conservation Society The Good Fish Guide ranks seafood by sustainability and provides advice on sourcing. The guide also offers practical suggestions for "best choice" alternatives.
领英推荐
海洋管理委员会 In the UK, the MSC label is a reliable indicator of sustainable seafood. Popular certified options include haddock, mussels, and pollock.
United States
Seafood Watch by Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch provides regional and national seafood guides that rank species by sustainability. The program highlights ocean-friendly options and offers practical tips for consumers, businesses, and policymakers.
Take Action
By using these tools and guides, you can actively support sustainable fisheries and help reduce overfishing and bycatch.
Urge Stricter Longlining Regulations to Protect Our Oceans
If you're as concerned about the devastating impact of longlining as I am, one way to drive change is by making your voice heard. I encourage you to write to Dr. Dion Travers George, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment, at [email protected] or [email protected], to advocate for stricter regulations on longline fishing and a reduction in the number of permits issued.
Here is a an email I have drafted that you can use to personalise with your details. Just save a copy of it [File > Make a Copy] to enable you to use it to add your own info: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11vUOyFevHI08tPmPb4HdrFQ2lr0go6iy7SCzu8BEK-g/edit?usp=sharing
By calling for more sustainable fishing practices and better enforcement, we can help protect marine ecosystems and the species that depend on them. Every email matters—together, we can push for policies that prioritise the health of our oceans over short-term financial gains.
Let’s protect our oceans, one responsible choice at a time ??
Mossel Bay Tourism Board Director
1 个月Thank you for sharing and a well crafted article. Please can you also attach a petition link or letter that people can forward to the Minister as we need to amplify the plight of The Great White and over fishing in general. Thanks for all your efforts.