Now, its lunch break, your stomach is rumbling. As you are about to eat the grilled parrot fish you ordered at your favorite seafood restaurant, you suddenly remember all the parrot fish in the world. You think about how many parrot fish are fighting to survive climate change and how many will be left for your grandchild to see and taste 40 to 50 years from now.
That’s not a crazy thought
Do you know that approximately 50,000 to 80,000 lbs, of reef fish were commercially caught for the CNMI market last summer?
Parrotfish and unicornfish — locally known as laggua, palaksi, tataga and hangon — make up at least 70 percent of the catch, according to the Pacific Marine Resources Institute.
These fish are algae- and detritus-eating species. They help clean our oceans and contribute to the survival of our coral reefs — the home of marine creatures.
Without controlling the number, size and type of fish caught, our coral reefs may be damaged.
Size matters
But don’t worry. Eating grilled yellow fin will not contribute to the destruction of marine life although making good choices can help save it.
Pacific Marine Resources Institute biologist Dr. Peter Houk said as consumers, we have to consider the size of fish we buy at the market.
He said we have to take note of the “L50” — the size at which 50 percent of the fish population becomes reproductively mature.
For example, a small yellow fin tuna which is 16 inches long may not have reached puberty yet.
This means, if caught, the fish can no longer lay eggs in the future.
More eggs mean more fish to catch someday.
A very big fish, however, can produce many eggs.
Some big fish may be pregnant and have eggs in them.
Dr. Houk recommends that we buy a medium-size fish.
As the saying goes, “Stores sell only what we buy.”
According to Pacific Marine Resources Institute report, Parrotfish and unicornfish make up 30 percent of the market catch last summer that were often caught below their L50.
“[This] decreases the number of fish for future generations,” the report stated.
Needs vs. good choice
Although fishermen are aware that catching small fish is harmful to marine life, Houk said many fishermen still catch small fish because of a personal reason: the need to provide food and money to their family.
“The thought of feeding your family weighs more than the thought that there might be less fish to catch someday,” he added.
Some fishermen are also catching fish while scuba diving.
“Scuba fishing is illegal but many fishermen do it and many fish sold in the market were scuba fished,” Houk said.
Homeless
Climate change is also affecting our marine life, Houk said.
He said because of climate change, more typhoons are expected 10 to 15 years from now.
More typhoons mean strong winds and strong waves that are destructive to marine life and can disturb the natural habitat of marine creatures.
Houk said more typhoons mean less time for marine life to recover from the damage done.
Asked what other factors contribute to climate change and the destruction of the island’s marine life, he said: “Water quality affects the growth and survival of coral reefs. Warm and polluted water kills our corals.”
He said recreational misuse also damages the marine environment.
“It takes a little bit of effort to help save our marine environment,” he said. “It is not just the government’s problem or a non-profit organization’s problem. It is everybody’s problem and everybody must be concerned.”
He said saving the environment must start with the word “I”.
Here are simple things you can do to help save marine life:
• Support environmental projects
• Attend community meetings
• Start at home
“It’s a matter of choosing the right things to do,” Houk said. “Small things like throwing your garbage properly in the right place can do big things.”
So, the next time you fish or buy fish, consider L50. Consider your children and grandchildren.
