11 votes

The destructive legacy of failed aquaculture

3 comments

  1. [3]
    scroll_lock
    Link
    Comment box Scope: comment response, questions Tone: neutral Opinion: yes Sarcasm/humor: none I guess I had never thought much about how fish are harvested. The place I grew up was not near the...
    Comment box
    • Scope: comment response, questions
    • Tone: neutral
    • Opinion: yes
    • Sarcasm/humor: none

    I guess I had never thought much about how fish are harvested. The place I grew up was not near the coast so I didn't think about fish much. I thought that fish were mostly caused at sea in nets. That seems different than the equipment in this article which seems much more intense.

    As a consumer, is there a way to avoid buying fish or shellfish that is produced by companies dumping all this waste in waterways? Some sort of certification or sticker on the products? Or would I realistically have to stop eating seafood altogether? I stopped eating red meat/some white meat for environmental reasons (among other reasons), and fish is my way of cheating.

    Obviously I am a big advocate of government regulation, and it sounds from the article that that's what's needed here. I just like to have a "stake" in the policies I advocate for.

    1 vote
    1. [2]
      kacey
      Link Parent
      As far as I know, Ocean Wise certifications are still considered adequate. Two caveats: Some species won’t be certifiable entirely, as their population is below safe levels, There’s an argument to...

      As a consumer, is there a way to avoid buying fish or shellfish that is produced by companies dumping all this waste in waterways?

      As far as I know, Ocean Wise certifications are still considered adequate. Two caveats:

      1. Some species won’t be certifiable entirely, as their population is below safe levels,
      2. There’s an argument to be made that no wild caught seafood are sustainable, and that all open aquaculture is inherently disruptive to ocean ecosystems (although mussel farming has been shown to have a mixed, but overall positive, impact).

      Also note that things such as fish sauce and bonito are often not available with any sustainability certification, and cutting them out would be very impactful if you rely on them for the cuisines they’re instrumental for.

      4 votes
      1. scroll_lock
        Link Parent
        Comment box Scope: comment response Tone: thankful Opinion: none Sarcasm/humor: none Thanks for this resource. I found a fish search on the OceanWise website that lists whether the fishing...
        Comment box
        • Scope: comment response
        • Tone: thankful
        • Opinion: none
        • Sarcasm/humor: none

        Thanks for this resource. I found a fish search on the OceanWise website that lists whether the fishing practices in certain regions are sustainable or not.

        They also seem to have a list/map of partners including grocery stores and restaurants ("Partner map"), but it doesn't seem to include anything in my city.

        Glad that someone is tracking this at least. Hope they can expand more.

        4 votes