When we fish and farm seafood for human consumption, there are often overlooked environmental consequences. Some methods of both fishing and seafood farming are more sustainable than others, depending on the type of animal involved, the tools used and the location. Along with waste and chemical accumulation in water sources, overfishing and the destruction of natural habitats by the fishing industry are significant threats to aquatic ecosystems. Choosing sustainable seafood is as important to these ecosystems and to our health as choosing other sustainable products, such as reusable organic cotton bags and milder household cleaners.
The first thing I’d like to talk about is the harm that fishing does to natural habitats. When using methods that catch a large amount of seafood, such as nets or cages, animals that are caught that are too small or unmarketable are discarded and left to die. This results in quite a bit of waste every year. This process is known as Bycatch. Since cages and nets can’t be selective about what types of sealife they catch, numerous unwanted species end up in them. This can lead to the unintentional catching of marine life such as dolphins, sea turtles and seals. There are environmentally safe ways of fishing for seafood that have a minimal impact on the habitats of marine life. These methods include harpooning, small traps and hook and line fishing. A seafood guide that has been produced by the Seafood Watch program recommends environmentally safe ways in which to fish for seafood.
Another concern that fishing raises is that of overfishing. Overfishing happens when certain species of fish are captured faster than they can reproduce, meaning their population numbers continually dwindle. Species like the Atlantic Cod, West Coase Rockfish, Bluefin Tuna, and certain types of sharks have all suffered from overfishing in the past. Species like the Chilean Seabass reproduce at a much slower rate than others, so overfishing is a very real possibility that must be monitored. As a consumer, you can voice your opinion and help preserve their populations by not purchasing these kinds of fish.
On the slightly milder side, farming things like oysters, mussels, and other shellfish has a relatively mild environmental impact compared with salmon and shrimp farming, which can endanger wild fish populations when their feedstocks are produced. When fish such as salmon are farmed at unnaturally high rates in ocean cages, they create unhealthy amounts of waste and disease that can affect surrounding wild populations. Fish farming can take place in more sustainable systems, such as in separate tanks that continually recycle water, known as recirculating aquaculture systems.
The Seafood Watch Program recommends ways to fish that will not endanger species of fish or their habitats. The program also advises that when choosing farmed fish to chose seafood that has not been fed an excess of wild fish, and whose waste and disease management plans are in place so that no threat is posed on habitats. To prevent contamination on our waterways it is recommended that reusable bags are used in place of plastic bags that are very dangerous to waterways and the sea life who inhabit those waterways.
