I decided that I will be writing, or continue to write diaries regarding issues facing our oceans in a series to be written when I think there's an issue that needs to be pounded on again and again. There are many. And the oceans as an issue reaches beyond the ocean. Overfishing is driving fisheries to collapse. Factory farming practices are producing dead zones, urban run off are choking our vital watersheds and making our beaches more contaminated and our addiction to plastic is creating plastic islands of trash. It's so staggering of an issue that we cannot ignore it any longer.
Today it's about eating the right fish. Good has a way to make it easy, Transperancy: What Fish to Eat
After years of irresponsible fishing, there just aren't that many fish in the sea anymore. If we are going to help save the world's fish populations while continuing to eat fish (which you should, it is really good for you), we have to eat the right fish.
So, it's not all lost, there are still sustainable fish you can savor and by doing so you are using your dollar to support responsible practices, just as you do when you buy grass fed beef and other more sustainable practices (Hey, Farmer's markets, CSA's and your local family owned markets are all good ways to vote with your dollar).
Here's more information...
Rainbow Trout. These eco-friendly fish are popular with recreational fishermen, but don't seem to appear often enough on restaurant menus. They should: Farmed trout are delicious (like a more delicate salmon), home-grown (nearly all trout in the US market are raised in Idaho), and abundant. Environmental pollution is also minimal, because of well-established industry practices and government regulations.
Oysters. Blue Point junkies may be surprised to know that 95 percent of the world's oysters are actually farmed; that's because the beloved bivalves are naturally suited to aquafarming environments, since there's little chance of them escaping and interbreeding with wild stocks. And because oysters are filter feeders, they can even scrub pollutants out of surrounding coastal waters.
Mussels. Like oysters, farmed mussels do not require fishmeal or fish oil for their diet. They also have a long and distinguished aquacultural history: The first mussel farm was supposedly started in the 13th century by a shipwrecked Irish sailor who discovered mussels growing on the wooden posts he planted in a failed seabird-catching attempt. Unlike oysters, however, the majority of mussels in this country are imported; if you have the option, choose ones from nearby Canada over far-flung New Zealand.
American Caviar. These days, beluga caviar is about as politically correct as a mink coat (and illegal, I might add), thanks to severe overfishing practices that have resulted in the near annihilation of Caspian Sea sturgeon. Imported caviar also comes with a health warning, due to high levels of PCBs and mercury. Roe from US-farmed sturgeon or paddlefish offer an excellent alternative that has come to rival the real stuff; revered caviar boutique Petrossian even offers a sustainable selection of the American variety.
Source
And unfortunately fish farming has taken a page from land-based factory farming...
Overcrowding, large amounts of waste and all the wrong kinds of food means more pollution in the waters around fish farms.
And why avoid farmed salmon? Since salmon eat other fish, they are more "high maintenance" to farm, so much so, "For every 1 lb. of farmed salmon, 2 to 5 lbs. of smaller fish are needed to feed it."
And what about shrimp? It's not pretty either, not one bit. You think Bubba Gump, that would be nice huh?
Shrimp farming is one of the most destructive types of aquaculture. Mangrove forests protect coastlines, provide food and shelter to countless wildlife, and supply multiple resources to impoverished coastal people who rely on them for daily sustenance. Unfortunately, they also occupy many ideal locations for shrimp farming, and are uprooted and destroyed as a result. In addition, shrimp farmers are often quick to abandon the locations and move to new ones for better production results, destroying more mangroves along the way. Shrimp farms also raise the salinity of surrounding water and soil, ruining the land for agriculture.
Yes, it's as bad as you thought it was and even worse. Especially since the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species failed to put a ban on many endangered species in our oceans, from sharks, bluefin tuna to coral, which leaves it up to us to try to do our best to curb our appetite and to educate as many people as possible.
I like what the Christian Science Monitor suggests "Earth Hour? How about endangered species hour?".
Millions of people around the world are switching off their lights for Earth Hour Saturday night in a growing grass-roots effort to conserve energy and draw attention to global warming.
But can they also stop eating shark soup or sushi made from bluefin tuna?
That kind of consumer action may be what it takes to save certain endangered marine animals, because governments decided this week not to come to their rescue. About a half-dozen shark species, the bluefin tuna, various corals (yes, corals are animals), and the polar bear all failed to receive international protection at the meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
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But conservationists were deeply disappointed by the inaction on marine life, which took up more of the CITES agenda than ever before. The threat in oceans and seas has grown. Stocks of the bluefin tuna, for instance, have fallen more than 80 percent since 1970, much of it during the last decade. The fish is a big money-maker, and can sell for $100,000 per fish.
We can make a choice, we can try to have an impact. I gave you some tools. Will you use them?
And because it was funny...