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By: Kira Krall
Fish is delicious. We all know that. From fried grouper sandwiches to yellowfin tuna to oysters, most people can find some fish fare that they enjoy. But keeping our oceans healthy and our tastebuds happy at the same time is seeming to be a very difficult task.
Since the 1950s, commercial fish populations have been in steep decline due to demand for seafood. Fish are caught and removed from the ocean before they can breed and replenish the population. Large, slow-growing oceanic fish like the Bluefin tuna are now only 10% of what they were 60 years ago.
Photo Credit: Gilbert Van Ryckevorsel/TAG A Giant
The Atlantic Bluefin tuna is critically endangered due to its high demand in the raw fish market and its popularity as a sport fish. Since the demand is so high for Bluefin tuna in the sushi market, many fisheries ignore advice from conservationists and catch as many tuna as they can get their nets around. Many species like the Chilean Sea Bass face similar threats.
To drive our point home: The fishing industry has enough vessels to harvest fish from four Earths. Even marine animals that are not the target species can be killed by fishing equipment, known as “bycatch.”
While overfishing and “bycatch” may seem like colossal problems, one step in the right direction is possible using the device that you’re probably reading this very article on. Keeping the balance is as easy as using Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch app.
Seafood Watch makes all of the sustainable decisions for you. It categorizes seafood by state into “Best Choices”, “Good Alternatives”, and “Avoid.” Seafood Watch considers breeding habits and characteristics of the species as well as the equipment used by fisheries to catch certain species.
Longlines, purse seines, and farming are different types fishing methods. Farmed fish are often the most sustainable fish choice. Closed aquaculture systems allow for water quality regulation, reduce the amount of water required to farm fish, and use eco-friendly biofiltration.
The country of origin is also brought into consideration, as some countries have less vigilant fisheries management and monitoring than others. So while domestic swordfish is marked as a “good alternative”, imported longline swordfish is on the “avoid” list. And of course, purchasing locally caught seafood is usually a safe bet.
In today’s world, your dollar is what can make the most difference. Purchasing products that are sustainably sourced will increase the demand for products that won’t harm our environment.
From overfishing to deforestation, the ability to save the world is quite literally at your fingertips. It’s our responsibility to keep our oceans full of life, or we could be telling our grandchildren stories about how there was once life in the ocean.