Imagine a futuristic world, a place where fish thrive in the billions, throughout our oceans and seas. Imagine a world that has no overfishing; has no species on the brink of extinction.
What would that world look like?
You would walk down the deck of a ship and feel the cool, sea breeze envelop you, as the ship rocks in the wind. You would look out into the vast ocean stretched out before you, and see dolphins leaping out of the water, free and safe from horrific deaths that occur today, such as what takes place in Taiji, Japan.
Your ship would dock, and walking on to the pier, you wouldn’t see advertisements for captive animals “owned” by multi-million dollar companies, such as SeaWorld or other massive, unsustainable companies; unlike Monterey Bay Aquarium and New England Aquarium. Instead, there would be signs pointing to environmentally friendly alternatives, such as whale-watching, where the fish have not been forced into captivity or to perform tricks when they long to be free.
What happened to the Bluefin Tuna, which were on the verge of extinction?
They are once again thriving thanks to the European Fishing Ban that passed after the U.S. agreed to join with the other countries in banning fishing of Bluefin. Countries around the world are working with many private organizations, e.g., Oceanic Preservation Society that look out for the banned fish.
In addition to fishing bans, governments have agreed to support the “Captivity Agreement.”
The Captivity Agreement states that no fish that is banned may be held captive in aquarium tanks. For example, Cod and Bluefin Tuna are not allowed in tanks. It also states that any endangered animal found in aquarium tanks must be released unless the government has granted the owner of the tank a special exception, which are reserved for oceanic research and helping injured animals.
Finally, the Japanese government no longer has a large amount of influence in the International Whaling Commission‘. This is due to other countries not believing Japan because of the scandal revealed in The Cove, a documentary released in 2009.
Could this happen? It could if everyone worked extremely hard to save the Earth’s oceans and their inhabitants.
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