Empty Oceans by 2050?

Humans have wiped out half of the ocean's fish since 1970 

For every 1 pound of fish caught, up to 5 pounds of marine animals are caught and thrown away as "BYCATCH"

Almost 4 lbs of wild fish are killed for a single 6 oz salmon fillet

Many fish are caught with "bottom trawling" - the ocean equivalent of clear-cutting a forest

Billions of non-target animals become tangled in fishing gear each year

Scientists predict the oceans could be empty of fish and other marine life by 2050

Nearly half of all fish eaten are from polluted farms - where they are packed so tightly that they can barely move

Fish are often suffocated, skinned, and dismembered - all while conscious and feeling pain

The average American contributes to the death of about 225 fish each year (not including BYCATCH)

Fish feel pain and suffer

They feel pleasure too

"Bottom Trawling: Bottom trawling is an industrial fishing method where a large net with heavy weights is dragged across the seafloor, scooping up everything in its path. Why is it a problem? Bottom trawling is unselective and severely damaging to seafloor ecosystems. The net indiscriminately catches every life and object it encounters. Thus, many creatures end up mistakenly caught and thrown overboard dead or dying, including endangered fish and even vulnerable deep-sea corals which can live for several hundred years. This collateral damage, called bycatch, can amount to 90% of a trawl’s total catch. In addition, the weight and width of a bottom trawl can destroy large areas of seafloor habitats that give marine species food and shelter. Such habitat destructions can leave the marine ecosystem permanently damaged."
~ Marine Conservation Institute

Sources and Suggested Further Reading:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ocean-fish-numbers-cut-in-half-since-1970/

http://oceana.org/sites/default/files/reports/Bycatch_Report_FINAL.pdf

http://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/widespread-fish-consumption-drives-fears-empty-oceans-n295556

http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/factory-farming/fish/aquafarming/

http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=482468094

https://blog.marine-conservation.org/2017/03/clean-power-plan.html