The Sin Azul No Hay Verde Foundation has launched the audiovisual campaign “Sensitive Content” with the aim of making visible the lesser-known and most harmful effects of trawling fishing in the Argentine Sea.
Through real images and documented data, the initiative seeks to show what happens outside the public eye, revealing the impact of a legal and widespread activity that poses serious risks to marine biodiversity.
The campaign’s focus: environmental issues in the Argentine Sea
The campaign will address various concerns related to the fishing industry, including:
- Shark overfishing, such as the school shark, whose population has drastically decreased.
- Plastic pollution derived from fishing, such as ghost nets, which continue to trap marine fauna for years.
- Incidental capture of threatened species, including cetaceans like the south american sea lion and the franciscana dolphin.
“We know it’s not easy to watch. But if it hurts to see it, imagine living it underwater”, expressed from Sin Azul No Hay Verde, highlighting the importance of the initiative.
Trawling fishing and its impact on biodiversity
One of the central themes of the campaign is trawling fishing, a technique that involves dragging large nets along the seabed, generating:
- High levels of bycatch, affecting non-commercial but ecosystem-critical species.
- Destruction of benthic habitats, harming biodiversity in the long term.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), this practice represents one of the main threats to marine life.
Data supporting the campaign
Various studies have warned about the consequences of these fishing practices. For example:
- The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified the school shark as vulnerable to extinction.
- In 2023, scientists from CONICET warned that the fishing pressure on the school shark is unsustainable in several areas of the Southwest Atlantic.
- A study published in Science Advances, led by Wilcox et al., demonstrated that ghost nets are one of the most lethal forms of marine plastic pollution, affecting birds, turtles, mammals, and fish.
In addition, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates that 300,000 cetaceans die each year due to accidental entanglement in fishing nets, including species that inhabit the Argentine Sea.
Bringing visibility without demonizing
The campaign does not aim to demonize the fishing industry, but to generate an informed debate on the need for sustainable management of marine resources.
“The material directly addresses various issues related to the Argentine Sea and the fishing industry”, explained from the Foundation.
With constant posts on social media and scientific evidence supporting the initiative, “Sensitive Content” aims to raise awareness among the population about the impact of industrial fishing, promoting effective conservation measures and public policies.
