Get Off the Hook

Jamie Espinola
Nick Gilbert

GetOfftheHookisanestablishmentthatwasfoundedin2014.Ourmissionisto
makechefsandeatingestablishmentsawareoftheevilsandconsequencesof
largescalefisheries.Wewouldliketoencouragethemtoinvestinpurchasingfishthat
aresustainablefortheenvironmentandhealthyforpeople.Webelievethatifchanges
donttakeplace,thenweareallgoingtodie.Therearemanyproblemsthatcouldare
associatedwithfisheriesandthispaperwilldiscusstheproblemsandexplainwhatwe
candotofixthem.
Oneofthebiggestconcernsoffisheriesiswhentheyheadouttocatchthefish,
andusebignets,calledtrawlnets.Thesenetsaretowedbehindtheboatanddrag
alongthebottomoftheocean.Thiscatchesthefishthattheywereintendingtocatch,butit
alsoproducesbycatch.Bycatchiswhentheothernontargetanimalsbecomehookedor
trappedandareunabletoavoidcaptureorentanglement.Theproblemwith
bycatchingisthatisdramaticallyreducesthepopulationsofnotonlydolphinsand
porpoises,butotherendangeredspeciesaswell.InNewZealandthereareonlyaround
100MauiDolphinsleftbecauseofhighentanglementrates.Notonlydoesitendanger
fishspecies,butitalsocandestroythecoralreefs.Overallthisisoneofthemainthreatsto
marinebiodiversityallaroundtheworld.Thereareseveralotherwaystocapturefish
withoutproducingbycatch.
Themainreasonthatthereissomuchbycatchisthebecauseoftheuseofthe
trawlnet.Onewayfisherscanreducethebycatchisbyusingathemethodofthelong
line.Asyoucanassume,itisalonglinewithhooksattachedtoittocapturethetargeted
fish.Anothermethodtouseidthepurseseinenet.Thisnetisacircularwalltheiscloseto
thebottomandenclosesthefishinside.Thisnetcouldhelppreventbycatchbecauseit
workswellwithschoolingfish.
Anothermajorconcernwithinthefisheriesisthatmanyofthemdontsetrulesand
regulationsandtheycannotimplementthem.AccordingtotheWWFwebsite,Inmany
fisheries,currentrulesandregulationsarenotstrongenoughtolimitfishingcapacitytoa
sustainablelevel.Thismeansthatfishermenareallowedtocatchasmanyfishasthey
possiblycan,evenifthisendangersthefishspecies.Also,ifthefisheriesdohaveasetof
regulationstofollowtheydontalwaysenforcethem.Whilemanycountriesdofollowtheir
regulations,therearesomethatdonot.Forexample,manycountriesstillhavenot
acceptedtheLawoftheSeaortheUNFishStockAgreement.Thiscouldleadtofuture
problemsincountriesacceptingagreementsorlawsforbycatchreductionandother
potentialissues.
Ourorganizationspublicserviceannouncementisaflyerthatistobepostedatall
fishmarkets,restaurants,foodcourts,andothereatingestablishments.Theflyercolorfully
warnsagainstmercurypoisoning,whichisabigdangerwhenbuyingfishfromlargescale
fisheries.Mercurypoisoningiscausedbybiomagnificationinthefoodchainsintheocean.
Mercuryisametalthatpersistsinanorganism'sbodyandneverleaves,untilitiseatenby
anotherorganisminthefoodchain.Themoreanorganismeats,themoremercurythat
accumulatesinitsbody.Organismsatthetopofafoodchainorweb,likeBluefintuna,
haveridiculouslyhighamountsofmercuryintheirbodies.Whenhumanseatthefish,the
mercurystaysinourbodyandcanharmournervoussystem,causingmemorylossor
permanentdamagetochildren.Ourpublicserviceannouncementwarnstheeating
establishmentstotoppoisoningtheircustomersmultipletimesandgivemultipleexamples
offishthatcontainhighamountsofmercury.Theseflyerswouldbepostedinpublicplaces
outsideoftheeatingestablishmentsothatcustomerswouldseethattheyarebeing
innocentlypoisonedandbecomeawareofitandpushtheeatingestablishmentto
purchasesustainablefish.
OurorganizationsactionplanistheFreetheFishDayonAugust8th,2014.Onthis
dayweplanonwearingfullscubasuitsandwalkingaroundfishmarkets,foodcourts,and
othereatingestablishmentswherefishareserved.Whilewearingthesuits,wewillbe
handingoutourpublicserviceannouncementtomakethevendorsandcustomersaware
thattheymightbegettingpoisoned.Wearingthesuitswouldjustbeattractattentiontous.
Anyvolunteersthatdon'thaveasuitcouldeasilyjustwearabathingsuitwithasnorkel.
Wearingasomewhatcomicalcostumewouldmakeourorganizationmoreapproachableif
anyrandompersonwantedtoaskusquestions.Whenwearriveatanyvenue,wewill
actuallybeginwithaflashmobtoUndertheSeafromDisneysTheLittleMermaid.This
willgetthesupportoffamiliesandparentsbeforetheyevenknowwhatweareabout.Itwill
alsogetmorepeopletoapproachus.
GetOfftheHookisanorganizationthathighlightsthedangersofsupported
largescalefisheriesandpromotessustainablefishingpractices.Withourflyersasour
publicserviceannouncement,chefsaneatingestablishmentswillbepressuredintonot
killingtheircustomers.OurFreehefishDaywillattractthesupportofcustomersthrough
ourflashmobofUndertheSeaandhandingoutflyerstoletpatronsknowthattheyre
beingpoisonedwithmercury.GetOffTheHookisalreadyasuccessfulorganization
supportedbytheMassachusettsRepublicanParty.

WorksCited
"FishConsumptionAdvice."EPA.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency,n.d.Web.23June
2014.

"NOAAHistoryStoriesandTalesoftheFisheriesServiceFishermanoftheUS
Dangers."NOAAHistoryStoriesandTalesoftheFisheriesServiceFishermanofthe
USDangers.NOAA,n.d.Web.23June2014.

"SustainableFishing."NationalGeographicEducation.NationalGeographic,n.d.Web.
23June2014.

"SeafoodWatchOfficialSiteoftheMontereyBayAquarium'sSustainableSeafood
Program."SeafoodWatchOfficialSiteoftheMontereyBayAquarium'sSustainable
SeafoodProgram.MontereyBayAquarium,n.d.Web.22June2014.

"WorkingforSustainableFishing."WWF.WWF,n.d.Web.23June2014.