Just because we’re constantly told about the threat to our oceans doesn’t make the danger any less immediate. In case you need a refresher, here’s a few facts and stats that should jolt you into action, courtesy of Seaspiracy, the Netflix documentary.
1. 90% of the world’s largest fish species have been wiped out by fishing.
2. Slavery in the seafood industry is reported in 47 countries.
3. Governments give $35 billion to fishing industries every year to expand fishing operations.
4. 250,000 sea turtles are injured or killed by the fishing industry in the US alone.
5. 46% of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is made up of fishing nets.
6. 30,000 sharks are killed per hour, and 300,000 whales, dolphins and porpoises are killed in fishing nets every year.
7. Enough fishing line is set to wrap around the Earth 500 times.
8. 3.9 billion acres of seafloor is deforested every year by trawling.
Hopefully, this instigates you to give a damn.