Ocean fish are wildlife - the last such creatures that we hunt on a large scale. And while the sheer size of the oceans is awesome, there are many signs that we have found their limits. Despite our best efforts, the global catch of wild fish leveled off over 20 years ago and 70 percent of the world's fisheries are being harvested at capacity or are in decline.
Because the oceans seem so vast and their resources limitless, these threats are often "out of sight, out of mind." But overfishing issues are not just for future generations to endure; they're very real problems threatening our current seafood supply and the health of our oceans. The good news is that there is much we can do - if we act now.
There are some fisheries being run in a sustainable way. We now need to improve the practices of the remaining fisheries and solve the most pressing issues, including overfishing, illegal and unregulated fishing, habitat damage, bycatch (accidentally catching unwanted species) and poor management.
You can help by learning which seafood to buy or avoid. For the last 10 years the Moneterey Bay Aquarium has been helping choose wisely with their Seafood Watch pocket guides. They have developed 6 different regional guides which helps make your choice easy and sustainable. Be sure to download a guide for where you live and also a guide for where you might be traveling. Visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium's website for more details and downloads.
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Melissa, great point
There's a wonderful computer game called Fishbanks, LTD. I've played it with Fortune 500 companies and Iowa teachers, and it really shows how easy it is to overfish. The old phrase "There's more ifsh int he sea" is not true anymore. Some species like sharks and blue fin tuna are down 95% Most of the swordfish caught and eaten are juveniles who never had a a chance to breed! How'd you like to get caught and eaten before you had a chance to experience sex?
Get the list and eat only the abundant, sustainably harvested ones.