Story Behind the Mural
63% of global fish stocks are now considered ‘overfished,’ which is simply the taking of wildlife from the sea at rates too high for fished species to replace themselves. While more than 2.5 billion people worldwide depend on the oceans for food and livelihood, many governments continue to provide subsidies to their fishing fleets to overfish our oceans. For example, 40,000 jobs were lost with the collapse of just one overfished cod population, and fishing fleets are now heading to new waters because they have exhausted old hunting grounds.
Artist Statement
My mural is an offering to the Gods of the 'Seven Seas' because in just 55 years, humans have managed to wipe out 90% of the ocean's top predators including sharks, bluefin tuna, swordfish, marlin and king mackerel. Over 100 million sharks are slaughtered each year, often times for their fins and still alive when discarded at sea.The Focus
OverfishingTake Action
If you do eat seafood (marine life), you can be a responsible consumer by:
- Choosing to eat species that are lower on the foodchain. Think sardines over tuna.
- Refer to consumer guides such as Seafood Watch and only eat species that are considered sustainable and/or invasive.
- Look out for catch harvested using non-commercial, more sustainable fishing methods such as spearfishing and pole-and-line.