One Fish, Two Fish...

Saving the oceans from disaster, one fish at a time

Every day we hear more about the perils of global warming, and how rising ocean levels will wipe out coastal populations and decimate coral reefs. Yet, for as long as humans have been pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, we have also been destroying or oceans in an even more obvious yet equally disruptive manner. Over the past few centuries, new technology and soaring population levels have both contributed to massive overharvesting of the world’s seafood. Currently scientists estimate that humans are responsible for removing 90% of all large fish. This has dramatically upset the delicately balanced food webs in marine ecosystems, and the consequences for all ocean life, as well as the humans that depend upon them, could be disastrous.

Besides the sheer number of fish being taken from the oceans each year, many fishing practices degrade the environment and harm non-target marine organisms. Practices such as bottom trawling, which involves dragging a fishing net across the ocean floor, dramatically disrupt benthic habitats, and may remove up to one quarter of all deep sea life in a single run. Also, since fishers have no way to magically attract only the fish species that are in highest demand, many additional fish species and even marine mammals are often caught in fishing nets. These non-target species are usually thrown back in the ocean, but they are usually injured or killed by the experience.

As three quarters of the world’s fisheries are either overexploited or have already collapsed, people have been turning more and more to aquaculture, or fish farming. These farms cause many of the same environmental and health problems as cattle feedlots, and for many of the same reasons. Concentrating so many animals in a relatively small volume leads to infections from pathogens, such as sea lice, and pollution to nearby waters. The spread of pathogens from fish farms have been shown to dramatically reduce the populations of wild fish living nearby, and water pollution from feces and antibiotics can affect all kinds of marine organisms as well as humans.

Now that you are probably exhausted after hearing all these sad facts about the poor state of our oceans, here is some good news: human populations worldwide are working to implement more sustainable methods of harvesting fish. Many fish farms are being certified for their sustainable and environmentally friendly practices and new rules are being enforced to prevent overfishing. The most powerful force behind these changes is you, the consumer. By buying only seafood that has been sustainably caught or raised, you can help save our ocean ecosystems from disaster. The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch has published guides explaining which seafood species are good to buy, and which should be avoided. They also have lists of chefs and restaurants that have pledged to only purchase sustainable seafood. Go to http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/sfw_recommendations.aspx to download your own handy pocket guide and become a savvy seafood shopper today!

Sara