In the past month, I have heard everyone talking about it. The Netflix documentary Seaspiracy. After shocking documentaries like What the Health and Cowspiracy this is the next eye-opening movie to watch. Seaspiracy showcases the corrupt and disturbing side of the fishing industry.
Ali Tabrizi, the director of the movie shows people how much damage humans cause to the oceans. It makes an important point that the oceans are in big trouble. Let’s have a look at the main points from the new Netflix hit documentary. This to get a better understanding of what is going on in the world and why it is so important to stop eating fish. Followed up by a Seaspiracy proof recipe so you can help our planet starting tonight.
The biggest amount of plastic in the oceans comes from fishing gear
A lot is going on in the world when it comes to plastic. People are aware of the damage plastic has on the environment. For example, everywhere in the Netherlands plastic straws have been banned and plastic bags aren't available for free anymore.
Seaspiracy researched how much impact banning plastic straws actually has on our environment. It turned out that plastic straws cause just 0.03% of the plastic pollution. Meanwhile, 50% of the plastic comes from fishing gear. Fishing gear is left in the ocean when ships are catching fish. Seals, dolphins, sharks, and whales get stuck in the fishing gear or they eat it and die. So, if we want to make a change, we need to prevent fishing gear from being left in the ocean.
The corruption in the fishing industry
In the documentary, we learn that a lot of dolphins, sharks, and whales are being killed as a result of bycatch. Bycatch means that unwanted fish, like dolphins, get trapped during commercial fishing. Every year at least 50 million sharks die due to bycatch, just because they were at the wrong place at the wrong time.
In addition to that, it turns out that sustainability marks on the packaging of your fish may not be as truthful as it may seem. The documentary shows that hardly any animal-friendly farming is done. As well that slavery is still happening in the fishing industry. People get killed on ships if they don't want to cooperate or if they threaten to tell the truth.
Fishing contributes to the current climate change
The ocean is crucial for us humans to be alive. It absorbs 90% of the heat so the earth isn't getting too hot, as well as providing us oxygen. Due to fishing and the extinction of certain fish and animals, the ecosystem in the sea changes. That change causes that the oceans with its animals and plants will slowly die. The documentary points out that if the current fishing will go on, the ocean will be empty by 2048. If the ocean is empty, it cannot fulfill its job and climate change will become a bigger issue. It will result in us humans dying.
Now we come to the most important part of this article and that is, what you can do about it! According to Seaspiracy there is one big thing you can do: STOP EATING FISH!
I have been a vegetarian for many years now and I can tell you, there are a lot of delicious recipes that you can eat without fish or meat. Therefore, I will share with you one of my favorite vegan recipes to make it a little bit easier for you.
What do you need for four portions:
- 1 butternut squash
- 2 onions
- 2 pieces of garlic
- 1 can of chickpeas
- 2 avocados
- 1 pomegranate or pomegranate seeds
- 500 grams of spinach
- A hand full of pecan nuts
- Spices: paprika powder, rosemary, salt, pepper, and chili powder.
Dressing:
- 6 tablespoons of oil
- 2 tablespoons of mustard
- 2 tablespoons of white or red wine vinegar
How to prepare:
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
2. Clean the butternut squash, remove the seeds and cut it into small blocks. Cut the onion and garlic into small pieces. Put the squash, onion, and garlic all together on an oven tray. Put some oil on the squash with the spice's rosemary, pepper, and salt. Roast the squash in the oven for about 40 minutes until it turns golden brown and crispy.
3. Clean the chickpeas and put them in a bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of oil and one teaspoon of all the spices together. Put it on an oven tray and roster them for 15 to 20 minutes until they are crispy.
4. Wash the spinach, cut the avocado, remove the pomegranate seeds, and put it all into a big bowl. Get the squash and chickpeas out of the oven and add this to the bowl. Mix all the ingredients of the dressing in a separate bowl and pour the dressing over the salad. Add a few pecan nuts on top and enjoy!
I hope I made you more aware of the current problem related to the fish industry. We have to make a change. You can start out with this recipe, and I hope you realize that eating vegan food can be just as delicious. You are not alone in this and even one person can make a change. I definitely recommend watching the whole Netflix documentary Seaspiracy. Together we can change the world.
