Fish farming may be answer to depleted oceans
A variety of fish on display at Pike St Market in Seattle. (Photo by Flickr user mrpbps)
Story from Here and Now. Listen to audio above for full report.
A senior EU official recently said that fish populations are so depleted that when today’s children are adults, there may be no fish left to eat. This has led some to find a solution in fish farming.
Farm fishing started in the 1970s and has grown so that today 90% of the Atlantic salmon we eat comes from farms.
Environmentalists have long criticized fish farming for the pollution, the antibiotics used and the lower-nutrient levels in farmed fish. But Time Magazine’s Bryan Walsh says that environmentalists are changing their mind, after watching how quickly we’re depleting fish in the ocean — especially as people in countries like China move up into the middle class and want to eat more fish.
Walsh argues that improving fish farming techniques may allow us to conserve the wild fish left in the ocean, what he calls the “last wild food.” He also says that conservation measures can help. Fish that are lower down on the food chain are more sustainable, because they don’t have to eat other fish–depleting stocks further.
> Read Bryan Walsh’s article in Time.
———————————————————————————
“Here and Now” is an essential midday news magazine for those who want the latest news and expanded conversation on today’s hot-button topics: public affairs, foreign policy, science and technology, the arts and more. More “Here and Now”.
The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. Will you support The World with a gift today? Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!