Stop Eating Lobsters to Save Whales
According to Seafood Watch, we must stop eating lobsters to save whales. What do lobsters and whales have in common? Not much, aside from living in the ocean. While a lot of people consider lobsters to be guilt-free meals, they are causing more damage than we think.
Seafood Watch monitors how seafood is harvested around the world. They work hard to provide sustainable seafood for us and inspire global change. According to them, fishermen cause a lot of damage to North Atlantic Right whales when they fish for lobster and other fish. Those that use nets in order to catch fish and lobsters cause issues for wildlife. These nets can easily harm or kill a whale and other sea life.
Since 1970, North Atlantic Right whales have been listed as endangered. It is estimated that only 350 North Atlantic right whales are left in the world. We must do everything possible to save the species from extinction.
One thing fisheries can do to save whales is stop using nets. A lot of times, fisheries will use bottom trawls to catch their prey. These nets drag along the ocean floor, catching everything in its path. Even using traditional rope and buoy causes entanglement for the whales and a loss of gear for the fishermen. Not only do these nets catch fish, they can also catch other endangered species.
Seafood Watch hopes that by bringing awareness to the issue, people can look to alternative ways to catch lobster or stop eating lobsters to save whales. If we stop buying lobsters, there will be less of a need for fisheries to catch them. And the hope is that if there are fewer lines, ropes, and nets in the water, it will give the North Atlantic right whales a chance to thrive.
