Seafood: Introduction
Whether it comes grilled, smoked, or fried, seafood is a staple of our nation’s diet. Yet the combined stresses of a growing human population and high international demand for seafood have almost tapped out our ocean’s ability to produce it Despite an ever-growing fishing fleet, which the World Wide Fund for Nature estimates to be 2.5 times larger than what the oceans can sustainably support, and increasingly sophisticated equipment, the amount of wild caught fish declined in the 1990s and now remains stagnant. A 2006 study in the journal Science found that catches of wild fish are plummeting. The researchers predict that without steps to reverse trends, all current commercial fish and seafood species will collapse by 2050.
Rather than sit idly by as we lose marine life diversity and a critical component of our global food supply, we must focus on sustainable seafood now. With the increasing demand and dwindling supply, it might seem that the only solution is to stop eating seafood completely. However, economic dependencies on the fishing industry, as well as the numerous health benefits of eating fish are leading some to seek out responsible and sustainable ways to keep seafood on the menu.
Read on to learn more about the environmental impact and social implications of the fishing industry, as well as about the health effects of consuming fish.