"Overfishing has become catastrophic. A report by Nature Communications in 2016 found that far more fish have been caught globally between 1950 and 2010 than was admitted, leading to a sharp decline in the number of fish in the sea. Industrial fisheries using large commercial machinery to trawl the ocean bed result in millions of other sea animals, including whales, dolphins and turtles, getting trapped and killed in nets – known as ‘bycatch’. Aquaculture – essentially the factory farming of fish – poses a host of health and environmental hazards.
Meanwhile, slave labor, which is particularly rife in the shrimp industry, poses ethical problems, as does the issue of animal cruelty, something often overlooked when it comes to sea creatures.
Scientific evidence has found that fish are sentient and feel both physical and emotional pain, as do crabs, lobsters and other crustaceans."
As a person with a severe shellfish allergy, I really just hope this turns into a way for me to eat "shrimp." Which is ridiculously selfish, but there it is.
I tell all my clients to pretend they are "Muslim Hindi Jewish Buddhist Jainists" who are lactose intolerant and allergic to eggs, honey, fish, and shellfish. LOL it makes them laugh but also helps them realize that whole groups of people exist who don't eat animal secretions...or any living creatures.
Raising hand. I too cannot eat shellfish. I really do not like fish as a food group, but shellfish is delicious because I can't have it.
Ocean acidification may pose an even greater threat than over fishing. Over fishing generally impacts the species that are higher on the food chain. Ocean acidification threatens all marine organisms, especially those that secrete shell material: corals, coccolithophores (a type of phytoplankton), pteropods (planktonic mollusks) and foraminifera (a type of zooplankton). These organisms are all at or near the base of the marine food web, so the trophic structure is getting hit at both ends. Coral reefs not only provide food for parrot fish, but they also serve as habitat to many species and nurseries to many others. People tend to think of the oceans as a vast and inexhaustible resource, but it is actually much more fragile and vulnerable than people realize.
I never found a meat alternative I could enjoy. Before I got on medication for my gout I would turn vegan for about 3 or 4 month at a time to lower my Uric acid levels. I just ate a lot of soy and nuts for my protein. I can have dried beans because they are high in uric acid too. 4 months is about as long As I could go with out have some kind of meat. I will admit tough about 3 months of no meat and your body changes some how and you really do feel better. But after months I’d kill for a burger.
You should try Beyond Burgers by Beyond Meat....and The Ultimate Burger by Gardein.
[beyondmeat.com]
[gardein.com]
@SkotlandSkye that beyond meat one really looks like a burger. Nothing like that crap Walmart sells.
@Donto101 wait until you taste it!
And what's the price comparison?
The price comparison is as follows:
Animals LIVE vs. Animals DIE
The Oceans have a chance to recover vs. The Oceans die
People have healthier options vs. People have high cholesterol, obesity, heart disease, cancer, etc.
@SkotlandSkye Nice idealistic rhetoric, but if you want to make a difference, it has to be practical and realistic as well. I think we've touched on this before. I'll reiterate that I'm not opposed to meat substitutes and eat them, but I always find the price off-putting.
@bingst If you can afford the internet and a smart phone, you can afford all plant-based foods.
@SkotlandSkye no
I have trouble getting excited when new processed fake meats and dairy alternatives are introduced. I know they are great for new vegans and people transitioning into more plant based diets who love meats and dairy. My SO gets excited over this kind of thing as he’s about 90% plant based and is looking to increase that. He even talks to his friends, all big macho guys in trades, to make the transition using vegan alternatives. I don’t complain and I include some in my meals but honestly if I want burgers I make bean patties that look and taste nothing like meat. There are some uses of these alternatives in my cooking but I don’t like depending on them for food. A lot of non-vegans think this stuff is what “vegan food” is and they go yuck they’d never eat that. Omnis don’t realize they already eat vegan food, like fruits, veggies, beans, nuts, grains. And they actually like it.
I wouldn't mind trying some of those. As a vegetarian trying out a vegan diet for the past month, it would be nice to have more variety and options.
While I love Sophie's Kitchen....I tell everyone to try Gardein's Fishless Fish and Crabless Crabcakes....they are scary amazing!
@SkotlandSkye I've eaten the Crabless Crabcakes. Those things must have crack in them because they are addicting! I've never seen the Fishless Fish though.
@joeymf86 OMGoodness! you have to find them and try them!
[gardein.com]
vegan seafood is it just seaweed?
No, not at all. While seaweed is usually the ingredient used to give it the "fishy" flavor, the base is generally made up of plant fiber, flour, and protein. You can google Sophie's Kitchen or Gardein Fishless Fish to see the ingredient lists.
That sound disgusting
heh. And people think vegans are judgemental. So, the fishless fish and the crabless crab and other mockseafood by Sophie's Kitchen are amazing. I've had all their products...and another company named Gardein also makes amazing vegan seafood. I've had the privilege of doing their food demos at trade shows.
I totally get that people in general don't give a flying fuck about how overfished and dirty our oceans are...and how many species of our aquatic brothers and sisters are near extinction. So, I'm not surprised by your judgemental dismissal without ever having tried a single product. What surprises me is that you list that you are a vegetarian on your profile....so I can't understand why you would actively seek to put a negative comment on a post that is for a products enjoyed and supported by countless vegetarians and vegans.