We can choose the best fish to eat!
It’s going to be a looong day out there!
It’s a beautiful day and the sea is calm. Today we decide to head far out to sea. 12 miles up to Cape Point, and then still 22 miles out to sea into ‘the deep’. That’s so far that we can’t even see the land from all the way out there!
We ride along in the boat for 2.5 hours, gee whiz! Monique is sure to give the Salty Sea Dogs plenty of water on the way…
We spot a huge boat in the distance
From far away we see a large boat moving slowly along. And as we get closer, we see thousands and thousands of birds flying behind it.
And even closer still, we see that the boat is pulling a very large net, and it’s not just birds following behind, there are also dozens of seals too.
A fishing trawler
We discover that this is a fishing boat, and it is called a trawler because of the type of fishing it does. The boat puts out a very big net and drags this net along the bottom of the ocean. Unfortunately, this means that the net catches everything it comes across, even if it is only trying to catch a certain fish.
The fishermen onboard try to put back many of the fish that they don’t mean to catch, and this is what the birds and seals are feeding on. The birds and seals know how to take their opportunities for an easy meal.
Unfortunately, it also means that many of these other fish most likely die.
But, we can choose the best fish to eat!
This is called making a sustainable choice. A sustainable choice can be based on the population health of a certain fish species, or the way in which the fish are caught. The ways of catching fish are far more friendly than other ways.
This can be hard to know, but good news … you can check on the best fish to eat on the SASSI website or download the SASSI app!
The choices we make can help reduce overfishing, protect marine habitats and ecosystems, and help to support sustainable fishing practices!
And what about all those birds?
The Salty Sea Dogs are amazed at how many sea birds are following the trawler. There are albatross, pintado petrels, white chin petrels, cape gannets, just to name a few.
They are fascinated as they stand up on the gunnels of the boat and watch the birds go by. It seems an endless amount of birds …
A very special treat back at home
It is a very long boat trip back to Simonstown harbour. Once we have cleaned the boat, and finally get back to our home, the Salty Sea Dogs enjoy a very special treat …
Chris has caught a longfin tuna and Sandi, Brownie and Lucy happily share their treat with their siblings, Floyd and Lulu!
And even more reason to enjoy the tuna … longfin tuna is on the Green SASSI list which means it amongst the most ecofriendly and sustainable fish we can eat … yummy!
Until the next time,
Big Woofs from the Waves to you all !
