Eating Fish is Evil

My Manta Ray is alright...for now...

July 13, 2006

A couple of things:

1) Good Luck to my good friend Erika S. (Hi-YAH!) whose last day at Casa was yesterday. One of my favourite people at Casa, I hope your future is bright and happy and full of foreheads to slap and shins to kick.
2) Congratulations to my other favourite person at Casa, my old boss and still the bestest boss in the world Donna A. just got a promotion. I think she is the number three person there now. She should be number one.
3) Dude, thanks for the call last week Brian, it was nice to hear a voice from home if only for a short while. I probably will not be able to make it to Arizona next month to hang with you and Jeremy. But SXSW next year! As long as the bands that show up do not suck.

Now for something not really that different:

I do not eat seafood. And by the way, that includes fresh water fish like catfish. Plenty of people think it is odd that someone of Asian/Pacific Islander descent does not eat seafood. True, every person of Asian/Pacific Islander descent that I know including all of my family loves seafood. I remember the days when my uncle would make crab and everyone would be happy (since he is an awesome cook) and I would be in the corner eating a hot dog. I know- crab vs. unwanted meat from several animals. But I just never developed a like for seafood. My mother thinks it is some sort of childhood taunting from my sister that I never liked seafood. I think she is on crack.

I have tried seafood though. I have tried all types of fish (even a bit of shark someone gave my uncle once), sushi, crab, lobster, sea cucumber, shrimp and dried squid. At least I can say I tried it at least.

But for me, not eating seafood comes down to two things:

1) How can you eat that? Most shrimp, lobster and crab are bottom feeders and the equivalent of eating cockroaches. I do not think I can eat anything that is cold blooded, has that many legs and looks like it crawled out of hell’s butt. Plus they taste bad. No matter who says what and how many spices you put in it.

And, more importantly:

2) The world is catching fish and other seafood faster than they can replenish themselves. In French Polynesia, there are noticeably more quid because their predators are gone. A HUNDRED MILLION sharks are caught each year just for their fins. Dude, that is just wrong. I am surprised that they are even sharks left out there. People now have to fish deeper because the catch at lower depths is all gone. Now you have to eat fish that look like they swam out of hell’s other butt. And the way you fish accidentally kills all kinds of other animals because you do not mind your nets or your traps.

Two Thirds of this planet is covered in water. But the ones who live in the remaining one third is turning the oceans into nothing more that a lifeless abyss.

On a slightly related note: The West African Black Rhino is extinct.

There may be other issues that people may perceive to be more important. Immigration. The various wars that we did not want. Politics. Sports. Movies. Whatever.

But honestly, I think that the oceans will continue be over fished no matter what I or anyone say anyway. And one day when you find out your sushi is filled with beef (or probably fish flavoured soy) you will just have to go to the beach and wonder why there is nothing alive in this big blue thing.

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