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Sustainable seafood
From CopperWiki
Around the world, many traditional fisheries are threatened with collapse, due to unsustainable fishing practises and habitat destruction. Sustainable seafood means that species are fished in a way that supports their future population. The fishing is managed so that there is as little environmental impact as possible and so that the fish are allowed to breed and populate at rates sufficient to guarantee their future and our future enjoyment of them.
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[edit] Why should I be aware of this?
Ocean ecosystems today face threats such as habitat destruction, pollution, warming waters, invasive species and industrial-scale overfishing. All these can put the precious resources we get from the sea in danger. But whether we are eating out or shopping at the supermarket, we hold the key to keeping our oceans healthy. We can support sustainable fisheries by making informed purchases when buying seafood.
[edit] All about sustainable seafood
Though many fishers realize the need to safeguard fish populations and the marine environment, business considerations and modern developments in fishing technology have had an enormous effect on fishing worldwide.
[edit] Technical advancements
Today there are much bigger fishing boats with powerful motors and nets made of plastics instead of natural fibers for nets. Onboard refrigeration allows fishers to stay at sea for longer; and airplanes, sonar, and even satellites can help fishers find fish.
[edit] Industrial fishing
Over the last 30-40 years such developments have been a big boost to the shipping industry. Industrial fishing fleets set thousands of kilometers of strong, invisible nets each day - some large enough to hold 12 jumbo jets - as well as thousands of kilometers of longlines with tens of thousands of hooks. With the collapse of fisheries around the world, fishing efforts have shifted to the deep seas and previously unexploited fish species. Here, over fishing can quickly deplete local fish populations - even within a single season.
Some newly fished populations, such as monkfish, Pantagonian toothfish, blue ling, and orange rugby , have already collapsed in some areas. There is insufficient data on other populations to determine what level of fishing is sustainable.
Most deep-water species are being over-exploited today - and as many as 40% of the world’s fishing grounds are now in waters deeper than 200m.
[edit] What can I do about it?
- Try to choose shellfish grown on farms using racks, lines or nets which are suspended in the water. These methods minimize damage to bottom habitat during harvesting.
- Prefer Striped Bass, a well-managed Atlantic coast species, as a substitute for some depleted species, such as Black Sea Bass, Rock Cod, Red Snapper, Grouper and Roughy.
- Seafoods can be contaminated with mercury, PCB's and other pollutants. Contaminants are mostly stored in fatty tissue. So it is advisable to drain away fats and juices by grilling and broiling when cooking fish. Deep-frying can seal in toxins which may be stored in fat.
- Ask your local seafood dealer or restauranteur about the source and catch-method of your seafood choices. Consumer concern is the best promoter of sustainable fisheries.
[edit] CopperBytes
- 52% of the world’s fisheries are fully exploited, and 24% are overexploited, depleted, or recovering from depletion2
- Seven of the top ten marine fisheries, accounting for about 30% of all capture fisheries production, are fully exploited or overexploited
- As many as 90% of all the ocean’s large fish have been fished out
- Several important commercial fish populations have declined to the point where their survival is threatened. [1]
