National Geographic is supporting the inhumane factory fishing industry with its show "Wicked Tuna" and ultimately glamorizing it as a competition by profits with a leaderboard of the most money made - First premiered on April 1st, 2012, the show follows egotistical fishermen in the North Atlantic waters and the historic docks of Gloucester, Mass. The fishermen must compete against each other to find as many monster Northern Tuna they can catch to rack up stacks of over $20,000 per fish.
Bluefin Tuna, also known as Northern Tuna, are a species of fish mainly found in the North Atlantic waters where the show takes place. They're currently in danger due to their population dwindling by four percent of their historic level; due to their slow maturity and spawning, they are unable to keep with the pressure of extreme fishing. They are sold worldwide to make delicacy dishes such as: sushi, sashimi, steaks, hon maguro or toro (tuna belly) even though they have high levels of PCB's and mercury that are not safe for human consumption. Northern Tuna also are top predators in the ocean and help provide food for predators and keep prey populations under control.
"Wicked Tuna" uses two of the most dangerous equipment to marine life on the show: fishing nets and fishing hooks. Fishing nets entangle more than just tuna but also catch sharks, seals, sea turtles, whales, dolphins and even birds causing them to drown; fishing hooks get caught in the gills or mouths of other animals than the tuna and can make their mouth be closed shut so they slowly and painfully starve to death.
There has multiple times sharks and seals have been encountered since the show has the boaters right in the middle of the food chain; the sharks have either been captured and died or have pulled away from the reel with hooks in their mouths; some known species are Great Whites, Thresher Sharks and Mako Sharks that have been shown.
The show is planned to re-air February 1st, 2016. Do not let their show glamour and fantasize the truth that they're helping the population or doing good. They're destroying the oceans and killing our Earth for a $20,000 paycheck and time on television for people to watch them slaughter ecosystems. It's time to save our dying oceans and put an end to this disgusting show.
Dear Mr. Murdoch,
We the undersigned are appalled about the show "Wicked Tuna" which glamorizes inhumane industrial fishing as a competition.
Bluefin Tuna (Northern Tuna), are a critical predator in the ecosystem of the North Atlantic Ocean and they are down four percent of their historic levels due to industrial fishing.
The show uses fishing nets, spears and fishing hooks, all of which are a danger to other marine life than just Tuna; seeing as the fishermen are right in the middle of a food chain, they are also netting seals and sharks. The show has already had a Mako Shark leave with a hook in its mouth and one dead Thresher on the boat.
Please do the right thing and remove this show from continuing to air!
Sincerely,
Care2 Petitioners
