Eating jellyfish could save endangered fish
Scientists think they have found an answer to the problem of food shortages. One solution could be for us to eat jellyfish. This could also help to protect fish and other sea life that are endangered. Researchers from the University of Queensland in Australia conducted a study of fishing around the world. They discovered that fishing nets caught 92 endangered species of seafood and 11 species of marine life classed as "critically endangered". The researchers said this was not illegal as the creatures were not protected. Researcher Dr Leslie Robertson said: "Despite national and international commitments to protect threatened species, we actively fish for many of these threatened species."
The researchers warned we are eating species of fish and other sea life that are on the brink of extinction. They suggested that eating jellyfish could help protect fish that are in danger of disappearing from our seas and oceans. Jellyfish could become a common sight on menus, and we could ask for jellyfish and chips instead of fish and chips. The researchers said jellyfish could be a sustainable alternative at seafood restaurants and fish shops. Dr Robertson said seafood is "not as sustainable as consumers would like to think". She added: "It is possible to manage our fisheries sustainably and eat species that can survive the fishing pressure. We just have to care about weird-looking squishy things like sea cucumbers."