Hello, I'm Johora Singaporensis, a Singapore freshwater crab.
But you can call me Jo.
I'm so small, I doubt you've seen me
but I bet you've seen my Big Blue Buddy - the ocean.
In this video, I want to talk about fish and what happens when we overfish.
You've probably heard people say,
"Don't worry, there's plenty more fish in the sea".
And yes, there are around 3.5 trillion of them.
That's a lot of fish.
The problem is that at least 2.8 billion wild fish are caught every year.
About a third of the world's fish are overfished,
leading to a rapid global decline in fish stocks.
In simple terms, we're fishing faster than fish can reproduce.
If this fishing frenzy continues, scientists predict that there
definitely won't be plenty more fish in the sea.
Why is this happening?
The truth is that humans simply love seafood.
Seafood is the main source of protein for 3 out of every 7 people on the planet.
It's more popular than other animal proteins like beef,
pork,
or chicken.
Singaporeans alone consume an average of 22 kilograms of seafood each year.
More than the global average of 20 kilograms.
But if we run out of fish,
it won't only have an impact on our dinner tables.
It will also have huge economic,
ecological,
and environmental impacts.
Our passion for seafood creates jobs and incomes
for millions of people all over the planet.
This is especially important for the economy of coastal communities
and people working in related industries.
Catching enough seafood to meet this massive demand,
means some people are resorting to unsustainable fishing methods,
and using more than a few extra fishing rods.
Take tuna for example,
which is the most consumed fish in the world.
To scoop up as much tuna as possible,
some big industrial fishing fleets use nets up to
2000 metres long
and 200 metres deep.
The trouble is that these huge nets don't just trap tuna.
Lots of other marine creatures are accidentally caught too.
Collectively called "bycatch",
they're thrown back into the sea,
either because they're unwanted,
unsaleable,
or not allowed to be caught.
Sadly, they often suffer serious injuries and die.
All this means that instead of plenty,
there are fewer and fewer fish in the sea.
Fewer fish mean fewer sources of protein
for people who rely on the sea for food.
Fewer fish mean fewer jobs for 800 million people
who depend on fishing industries for their livelihoods.
Finally, fewer fish could lead to a catastrophic collapse of marine ecosystems.
If that happens, our Big Blue Buddy
won't be able to feed and care for us,
or help fight climate change.
But all this doesn't mean that eating tuna is always bad.
Organisations such as Conservation International are seeking better ways
to meet your seafood demands.
They're managing sustainable fisheries and working with governments
and communities to monitor and protect important marine areas
from unsustainable and illegal fishing.
You can help too, by only eating only what you really need.
By finding out where your seafood comes from,
and making sure it's from a sustainable source
and not on a list of endangered species.
A little effort will go a long way
to making sure there will always be plenty more fish in the sea!