Your Friendly Guide of What Not to Eat

Ok, ok...it's more of a "if-you-have-to-eat-fish-keep-this-in-mind" type of guide.  This wonderfully compact, succinct, and colorful memo will help you make better decisions about our fine-finned friends.  

And we're going to insert an interjection/wish list/argument here.  We would love it if the world's industrialized countries came together and sensibly voted to preserve 30% of the world's oceans.  This would allow struggling stocks of marine life to rebound as well as provide a sort of Camp David for the suffering species.  And as much as it seems like a sensible request (considering the earth is 2/3 water) this will not happen any time soon.  In fact, less than 1% of the world's waters are protected into reserves.  That is shameful.  We give a lot of attention to global warming and how to counter the toxins in the ozone.  Much of the poison is created via the use of fossil fuels.  And a lot of fuel is used for mammoth whaling fleets and commercial fishing vessels.  

Let's be sensible.  If you were going to buy a house in a neighborhood that has rampant crime you wouldn't say "well, if I fix up this home the problem will go away".  The focus should be multi-faceted.  And in this example, it can be true that if an effort becomes self-sustained and community supported the problem/issue can be minimized or eradicated all together.  But it requires a lot of focused work and rigorous problem solving.

What do we propose?  Obviously the ocean reserves (this also protects coral reefs that are on the knife's edge of destruction), actually monitor and regulate international fishing policies in the meantime (and we mean regulate, none of this "we believe you 'cuz you're on a boat" nonsense), intensify some policies and close some ridiculous loopholes (we're looking at you, Japan), and of course lastly...do not feed the monster.  Our appetite is increasing exponentially, this doesn't mean we haven't to give in to it.  The bottom line is always important (especially for businesses), but that doesn't mean we have to ring up disaster at the checkout to achieve it.  Check out places like Responsible Travel, a company that is forward-thinking in creating enjoyable vacations that are eco-friendly. In a time when we are suffering global economic ruins, this is when we should be looking forward and redefining how we do business for ourselves in connection with our world.