14.08.2018 – Fish you don’t want to eat

The morning tour on the Ribeira Brava brought our guests a small group of Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), who were moving back and forth in one area. The group consisted of three adult animals and a larger calf. This subgroup was later joined by other animals.

In the afternoon on different tours we saw a variety of marine mammals. We were lucky enough to observe Bottlenose dolphins, Atlantic Spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis), Tropical whales (Balaenoptera edeni) and Pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus).

Often our guests wonder about the round cages that anchor off the coast of Calheta. They ask, what is that? Some would answer, it is a fish farm. But in fact it is ultimately an ecological disaster! Fish farms do not relieve our oceans. Fish farms strain, pollute and affect our seas badly! Cheap fish is bred there, which entails high costs of a different kind. Antibiotics are used that should neither end up on consumers’ plates nor be introduced into the marine food chain. Food supplemented with fish is partially contaminated with pesticides. Human health and the purity of the immediate environment are greatly endangered by their use.

Some may mention that the environment is cleaned by the movement of the currents. But waste is created and absorbed by other marine life. It does not matter if the coastal region or the open sea is affected by the pollution, because this is clearly not a sustainable fish.

It is stupefying to produce such a fish, which is so harmful to health and the environment. How is that possible? Where is the responsibility? Who approves such noxious nonsense? 

The fish farm off Calheta was surprisingly installed on a weekend. No time to respond. But now another set up in front of Ponta do Sol is planned! Protest is announced! On 14.08.2018 a protest against the planned fish farm took place in Ponta do Sol. Also members of Lobosonda were there out of respect for the beauty of our oceans represented there.

A small recommendation to our guests: ask in the restaurant, if there is farm fish on the menu. Explain very clearly that you do not want to eat such a sick fish. As demand determines supply, there may be a small chance that consumer behaviour will change. 

If you like to support the petition against the planned fish farm, please click: http://peticaopublica.com/pview.aspx?pi=PT90321

By Fatima Kutzschbach

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

10:00 Bottlenose dolphins

15:00 Bottlenose dolphins, Atlantic Spotted dolphins, Tropical whale