Our oceans are one of the Earth’s greatest resources; they, in fact, play a vital role in our planet’s very survival. This very resource is what provides us with food and up to 50% of the oxygen that we breathe, whilst also ensuring that our climate is regulated. It is also home to 80% of life on this planet. If our oceans are dying, then so are we.
At the moment, our oceans are facing multiple issues all at the same time, with two of the leading issues being commercial fishing and plastic pollution. Although these may be large issues to tackle, we can begin by taking small steps.
So, how bad is it?
Let us first begin by looking at the stats. I think we all are in need of a reality check. At the moment, the ocean is known to be the world’s largest rubbish site. Oceana estimates that 17.6 billion pounds of plastic leak is disposed into the ocean every year, causing over 1 million sea animals to die annually from this issue alone. Studies even show that plastics are due to outweigh the population of marine life by the year 5050. Yep, terrifying.
Additionally, commercial fishing destroys the ecosystems within the ocean at large. They do this through creating an imbalance in the fish food chain, impacting vulnerable marine life, and disrupting delicate oceanic habitats.
What can I do to make a change?
Here are the three steps that you can make today.
1. Read Up On The Resources
Educating yourself on this topic will serve as the very foundation of your actions going forward. The reality behind the current state of our oceans are not the prettiest; digging into these statistics are likely to entirely change your view on the environment.
2. Make Simple Switches
With plastic pollution being one of the leading causes behind the degradation of our oceans, decreasing your consumption of single-use plastics from today can make a tremendous impact in the long run.
Switch it up with plastic-free alternatives. At Sasstainable, we offer platinum silicone pouches, re-usable coffee cups, bamboo cutlery sets, and many more. These can be used over and over again. Make the investment for yourself, and for the planet today.
Shop our Earth-friendly range here.
3. Stop Eating Fish
Labels that claim fish products have been “sourced sustainably” can easily sway the consumer, however Seaspiracy reveals that the sustainable title is being completely misused within the fishing industry.
The only way we can work against the commercial fishing industry is to either largely decrease, or completely halt our fish consumption.
Overall…
With our oceans being in the state that they are currently in, there are no longer any excuses that we can make. Do your part. Any contribution, no matter how small, counts.