Jodi Darwood
Plastic straws have become a symbol of the fight against plastic pollution and better marine protection. But are they really THE issue for our oceans?
Plastic straws have become synonymous with ocean conservation, but are they truly the primary threat to our oceans? We’re taking a deeper dive into the complex challenges facing our marine ecosystems and exploring how our appetite for fish is putting life as we know it at risk.
Why are healthy oceans important?
As a terrestrial species ourselves, it is easy to forget about the importance of the ocean and its creatures in our everyday lives. But it’s crucial to all life on earth, whether living on land or under the water.
The ocean is vital to climate regulation, distributing heat from solar radiation, driving weather patterns, and producing half of Earth’s oxygen. As the planet’s largest ‘carbon sink’, the ocean absorbs 25% of all carbon dioxide emissions and 90% of the excess heat generated by these emissions1. In other words, the ocean acts as a buffer to the impact of climate change.
The ocean is home to 94% of Earth’s wildlife, making it the largest ecosystem on Earth2. Ocean habitats possess remarkable abilities: seagrasses and mangroves can absorb carbon dioxide four times faster than terrestrial forests3; coral reefs, which support over 25% of marine biodiversity, are often referred to as the medicine chests of the sea4.
And it’s not just animals that rely on the oceans - they are vital for humans too. Nearly half of the global population is dependent on the ocean for their livelihoods; that’s more than 3 billion people. The vast majority of these people live in developing countries5. Ocean economies such as tourism and fisheries are rapidly growing, and provide an opportunity for countries to boost employment, enhance food security, and reduce poverty6.
To put it simply, oceans are the foundation of life on Earth as we know it.
How many fish do we take from the oceans?
We eat a lot of fish. Trillions of fish. Estimations of the number of wild fish commercially caught each year are between one and three trillion7. What’s more, this shocking figure doesn’t account for the vast number of fishes farmed each year - an estimated 460-1,700 million individual fishes were produced in 2010 by the EU fish farming industry alone8. These numbers are staggering and mean that fishes are consumed in quantities far greater than that of any other animal.
You might think that a shift to aquaculture is logical. If we’re plundering the oceans of wild fish, wouldn’t fish farming take the pressure off?
Unfortunately, it's just not that simple. Many commonly farmed species such as Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout, and European sea bass are carnivorous, meaning the farms often rely on feeding fishmeal and fish oil (FMFO), produced from wild-caught fish9. In some cases, even herbivorous fish are being raised on a diet containing FMFO to increase growth rates and, in turn, profits10.
Our appetite for fish is having a significant impact on our oceans. In 2016, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation reported that 94% of fish stocks were fully fished or overfished11.
The consequences of overfishing are far-reaching. In addition to poor animal welfare outcomes, overfishing is threatening biodiversity, undermining food security, and putting at risk the millions of people dependent on fisheries for their livelihoods12.
The impact of fishing equipment and bycatch on the ocean
Sadly, the depletion of fish stocks isn’t the only threat to our oceans. Plastic pollution is weakening havoc on marine ecosystems and, in turn, reducing our oceans’ ability to absorb carbon emissions.
We often hear about plastic straws and single-use coffee cups contributing to the 14 million tons of plastic which end up in the ocean every year13. Much less spoken of is the huge quantities of plastic pollution coming from marine fisheries.
How much plastic pollution comes from fishing?
Staggering amounts of fishing gear, such as nets, lines, ropes and traps, are lost or discarded into the ocean. This so-called ‘ghost gear’ and other fisheries-related equipment make up around 10% of ocean plastics14.
Like other forms of plastic, ghost gear takes hundreds of years to decompose, devastating marine ecosystems in its wake. Ghost gear goes on fulfilling its initial purpose - to catch and kill wildlife - long after it leaves human hands.
The impact of fish farms on the ocean
Marine fisheries supply half of the seafood we eat. The other half comes from fish farming, known as aquaculture15. In addition to the severe welfare issues facing fish on intensive farms, the environmental impacts of this rapidly growing sector are profound.
Like marine fisheries, aquaculture is responsible for plastic pollution. Plastic use is widespread in the industry - from fishpond linings to shellfish farming bags - and these plastics are easily lost due to extreme weather, mismanagement, or deliberate discharge (dumping)16. Wasted fish feed, fish faeces, and chemicals can pollute the water and seabed around the farms, causing poor water and sediment quality17. Parasites such as sea lice can be prevalent in fish farms and spread to wild populations. Escapees can interbreed with wild fish, reducing their offspring’s ability to survive in the wild, and competing with wild fish for food and resources.
These factors can have significant environmental consequences and call into question the sustainability of the industry as a whole.
Isn’t the ocean protected?
You’d think, as the ocean is so important to the Earth that it would be protected. But just 8% of the ocean is covered by some sort of marine protection, and only 3% is “fully or highly protected”18.
There is currently no comprehensive legal framework in place to protect marine life and ocean health in international waters19. To address this gap in ocean governance, the United Nations has negotiated a Global Ocean Treaty, signed by 67 countries this year. The treaty, which has been agreed but not yet implemented, aims to establish marine protected areas to prevent the loss of wildlife and ensure that resources are equally distributed between nations20.
Are fish in UK waters protected by law?
The situation is similar on a national level. While 38% of UK domestic waters are designated as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), almost a third (32%) of these have no fishing restrictions across the majority of their site21.
Government plans to create ‘Highly Protected Marine Areas’ (HMPAs) were celebrated, yet in 2023 just 3 of the proposed 5 areas were designated. Unlike the MPAs, activities such as commercial and recreational fishing, dredging and construction will be prohibited within HMPAs. This is a positive start, but The Wildlife Trust has said these zones are “nothing like enough”22.
Despite promising progress in recent years, it is evident that a significant amount of work remains in order to safeguard the well-being of our oceans for future generations.
What can I do?
Change needs to happen. And quickly. Of course, cutting down on single-use plastic is helpful. But could you do more? As an individual, the most impactful thing you can do is leave fish off your plate.
But we need to come together to change this world for our oceans and the incredible creatures that live there. While the challenges are vast, we believe that we all can make a difference.
We know that fish are often forgotten. They, and the world they live in, can seem so alien to us. But if we raise the profile of marine welfare and widen our society's circle of compassion, we'll be in a better position to safeguard our oceans for a better future for all of us.
Want to make a difference for animals? Join thousands of others and start by signing the petition below, it'll only take a moment.
References
1. https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/climate-issues/ocean#:~:text=ocean%20habitats%20such%20as%20seagrasses,the%20fight against%20climate%20change. 2. https://oceanliteracy.unesco.org/ocean-clean 3. https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/climate-issues/ocean#:~:text=ocean%20habitats%20such%20as%20seagrasses,the%20fight against climate change. 4. https://coral.org/en/blog/coral-reefs-the-medicine-chests-of-the-sea/#:~:text=coral%20reefs%20are%20often%20referred,are%20yet%20to%20be%20discovered. 5. https://www.un.org/en/desa/5-reasons-you-should-care-about-our-ocean#:~:text=the%20ocean%20affects%20us%20all,future%20survival%20on%20this%20planet. 6. https://www.oecd.org/draft/xy2wj8pm3zg7/developing-countries-and-the-ocean-economy/ 7. http://fishcount.org.uk/ 8. A Mood and P Brooke, ‘estimating the number of farmed fish killed in global aquaculture each year’ (2012) 9. Compassion in World Farming - until the seas run dry 10. Compassion in World Farming - until the seas run dry 11. https://faunalytics.org/fundamentals-ocean-life/ 12. Compassion in World Farming - until the seas run dry 13. https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-brief/marine-plastic-pollution#:~:text=over%20400%20million%20tons%20of,waters%20to%20deep-sea%20sediments. 14. https://sdg.iisd.org/commentary/guest-articles/ghost-gear-the-hidden-face-of-plastic-pollution/ 15. https://www.mcsuk.org/ocean-emergency/sustainable-seafood/our-sustainable-seafood-work/the-future-of-seafood/#:~:text=aquaculture%20(or%20fish%20farming)%20has,of%20the%20seafood%20we%20eat. 16. https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2021/08/25/plastic-pollution-aquaculture-industry 17.https://www.sustainweb.org/goodcatch/environmental_impacts/#:~:text=waste%20from%20fish-feed%20and,and%20impact%20surrounding%20marine%20life. 18. https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/our-ocean-our-planet/what-is-30x30-marine-protected-areas-ocean-2030 19. https://www.greenpeace.org/static/planet4-international-stateless-release/2019/11/8f290a4f-ghostgearfishingreport2019_greenpeace.pdf 20. https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2023/march/historic-treaty-to-protect-the-worlds-oceans-finally-agreed.html 21. https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/all-at-sea/ 22. https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/blog/dr-lissa-batey/diminished-ambition-restore-seas
