Life — August 2, 1923 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Life: Birth Control of the Seas" This is a satirical poem by Edvina Davis about overfishing and resource depletion. A French Sardine warns her offspring about "birth control"—limiting fish reproduction—because humans are harvesting so many fish that populations cannot sustain themselves. The poem's joke plays on contemporary birth control debates (a controversial topic in early 20th-century America) by applying them to marine life. The Herring character argues that fish must reduce breeding because commercial fishing is unsustainable: "To such poor fish as we, / Who give to Commerce, without stint, / Our countless progeny!" The illustration shows laborers digging, likely depicting the economic pressure driving overfishing. The satire critiques industrial fishing practices and their environmental consequences through dark humor.