They are able to think, smell, recognize environments, prey and people; make decisions, solve problems, learn, store memories and have extraordinary intelligence.
It is frightening to know that we are not talking about human beings, but about octopuses, which are molluscs with a sophisticated nervous system and are served as a meal. Even the tentacles, which are part of the famous 'octopus rings' dish, are able to think and react to stimuli even though they are separated from the body.
A few weeks ago, we posted talking about how it is done to catch octopus using pots and everyone was impressed. Today we bring you an infographic that illustrates how this technique works, which only in Brazil allows a vessel to have up to 20,000 pots.
Octopus fishing can impact the marine ecosystem as a whole, in addition to aggravating the problem of marine pollution, as these pots are easily lost or abandoned.
And now, knowing the intelligence of octopuses and all the destruction that fishing causes, how about rethinking their consumption?
Plastic is present on the shelves of all markets, in our homes and in our daily lives, whether in food packaging, water bottles or beauty products, such as body creams, makeup and even sunscreen.
According to the 'Breaking the Plastic Wave' report, around 11 million tonnes of plastic are dumped into the ocean each year. That's equivalent to one garbage truck per minute. From material that offers convenience for being practical for consumers, versatile and cheap for industries, it has become a worldwide problem.
Without aggressive policies aimed at reducing the use of plastic and without raising awareness among the population, these numbers could triple by 2040, reaching 29 million tons per year - that's the same as dumping 50 kilos of plastic on every meter of coastline around of the world.
There is no single solution. We need to dramatically reduce the use of plastic, replace plastic with sustainable alternatives, develop products that can be recycled efficiently, improve waste collection, and of course, rethink all our attitudes and take action.
If you're ready to take action, help clean up the ocean, clean up the beaches, and stop thousands of marine animals' lives from continuing to be taken away by plastic pollution, join us. Visit our website at our bio link and register.
The data for this post was taken from the 'Breaking the Plastic Wave' report, developed by The Pew Charitable Trusts and SYSTEMIQ.
"The ocean needs fish more than your plate"
Changing society's habits for the preservation of marine life is an urgent issue, which can start at home, from food.
The ocean already faces irreversible damage from human consumption. Industrial fishing, one of the main factors responsible for the fish that are sold for consumption, contributes to the devastation of entire habitats, to the pollution of waters and to the extinction of marine life.
The ocean is critical to sustaining life on Earth as it stores mineral resources, is responsible for regulating the climate and provides oxygen. We can live without fish in our food - the ocean cannot.
Join the largest ocean conservation movement in the world and support us in the fight against fish consumption. Learn ways to contribute via the link in our bio.