Unpopular opinion: the metal straw movement is useless. Plastic straws make up only 0.025 percent of the ocean’s plastic, according to National Geographic. Not to sound like a conspiracy theorist but the metal straw movement is an ineffective movement to make money for any company trying to jump on the bandwagon. Do you want to know what makes up 46 percent of the ocean’s plastic? Plastic nets and waste from commercial fishing boats.
Commercial fishing nets are crazy massive, typically a couple hundred square feet. Cuts in the net or lost nets entirely not only add to the massive amount of plastic in the ocean but the nets can also be a death trap for sea life, literally. You know in the movies where a character steps on a net on the ground and it snatches them up in the air? Same idea. These nets build up and there’s not much you can do besides supporting local and sustainable fishing.
Here’s the thing: do you like salmon? What about tilapia? Or maybe you like those frozen ‘mystery fish’ filets. All of these fish are in constant high demand, no matter what season they’re matured in. Much like apple picking season or deer season, the different wild fish have seasons. However, when these fish are in constant demand, commercial fishermen have to start getting creative. Do you go into the wild fish supply and overfish? Or do you raise fish in farms that quickly become unsustainable?
Here’s my question for the audience: do you really want to make a difference? By moving your support away from large chains that are mass producing fish products and to small businesses, you can direct your money to families that are supporting not only the economy but also the environment. Luckily for us North Carolinians, it isn’t hard to find local seafood. There are plenty of sustainable fish farms out in the mountains and there’s also fresh seafood coming in from the coast daily. Ask around and you’ll know where to find it!
Supporting your local fishermen and sustainable fish farms is just as important as going to New Horizons or supporting S&T’s. If you truly want to combat the plastic mass in the ocean, be proactive and buy local!
— By Madison Clark