How much does a shrimp/prawn dish cost? Anywhere between Rs. 100 to 2500 depending on where you're eating. But what is the cost of that plate of shrimp beyond the price you're paying?
For every kilogram of marine shrimp or prawn caught, four kilograms of bycatch is also trawled from the bottom of the sea (fact courtesy: http://knowyourfish.org.in/), making shrimp one of the most unsustainable kinds of seafood. Shrimp trawling not only takes an unimaginable toll on marine biodiversity, which includes sharks, rays, reef fish, dolphins and turtles, but also damages coral reefs and benthic ecosystems.
Ahead of World Oceans Day (8th June), I pledge to completely give up eating shrimp, at least unless India has banned trawling and more sustainable options are available. I hope you too will consider giving up, or at least reducing your shrimp consumption.
The comic appears in my column with Sunday Mid-Day.
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