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Some of our favorite kinds of seafood are disappearing from the world's oceans because of overfishing, habitat destruction and the unintentional catch of other species, called bycatch. If we make informed choices - the "right bites" - about the seafood we buy at the store or order in restaurants, we can make sure our favorites will be around for a long time. If we don't, some species might only be a memory in a cookbook. Shedd Aquarium believes that conservation is a delicate balance between using and preserving our natural resources. We advocate decision making about resources that is based on science, that considers the needs of our communities and that maintains healthy and diverse ecosystems. To understand what we can do to help our oceans, we must look at some of the problems. Traditionally, we've thought of the oceans as a limitless source of food -- in the form of fish. Generations ago, there was plenty of fish to go around. But global human population increases an estimated 78 million people each year. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization predicts that demand for seafood will grow almost 50 percent by 2010 - due entirely to population growth. In some countries seafood provides up to 70 percent of animal protein. These are also countries where populations are growing the fastest, people are the poorest, and subsistence fishing is the main way to make a living. An estimated 200 million people worldwide depend on fishing for their livelihoods. At the current rate of fishing, the oceans will be able to supply only three-quarters of the seafood the world needs in coming decades. At least 60 percent of the world's 200 most valuable fish species already are overfished. Habitat destruction is another leading threat to fish populations. Growing human 
populations demand more space. Coastal areas worldwide have the fastest-growing
populations. At the same time, coastal areas often are breeding and nursery grounds
for the most valuable commercial fishes. Development in these areas, whether
residential, agricultural, or industrial, is accompanied by pollution from sewage,
siltation, chemical contamination and runoff. Even as people move to coastal areas
to take advantage of the resources, they often are destroying these resources as well
as overconsuming them. Without habitats for breeding, feeding and development of the
young, fish will disappear.At the same time that there are less fish to catch, increasingly efficient fishing practices make it easier to catch more. To meet the ever-growing demand for seafood, current fishing practices include methods that also catch a very high number of unwanted animals - known as bycatch -- that are thrown back into the ocean dead or dying. For example, for every pound of shrimp caught, four to 10 pounds of bycatch are also hauled up in the trawling nets. Bycatch includes other fishes, turtles, marine mammals, crabs - even birds. Raising fish on so-called fish farms can take pressure off wild populations, but some aquaculture practices destroy habitat and pollute. Shrimp farming often destroys mangroves where other commercial fish might breed. Salmon farming can release wastes into rivers or the ocean. In addition, it takes fish to feed these fish, which can result in a net loss in protein production. Farmed fish also can also escape and breed with their wild counterparts, introducing less robust fish into natural populations. Good aquaculture systems are closed off from the wild, preventing pollution and escapes. Striped bass are raised in closed systems, making them a good seafood choice. Farm-raised catfish and tilapia are other good choices because they eat vegetable matter, eliminating the need to fish another species just to feed them. There is good news! Recovery for these fish is possible. Overfished and declining populations can recover if measures are taken to better manage the fisheries through protection of breeding habitats and by adapting fishing gear to prevent bycatch and habitat destruction. By managing fisheries in a sustainable manner, fishing, whether subsistence or commercial, will continue to supply people's nutritional needs around the world for a long time. We can balance the needs of a healthy ocean with our own requirements. But we have to act now. There are many ways you can make a difference! Become an informed consumer. Learn about the issues and make informed choices about the seafood you eat. You can vote for conservation and sustainable fisheries with your wallet because your choices as a consumer can make a difference. If we choose not to consume overfished species now, their populations can grow to a sustainable size again. To help you make these choices, Shedd Aquarium has partnered with the National Audubon Society's Living Oceans program to provide a wallet-sized seafood guide. This guide ranks popular seafood into categories based on the status of the fish population, the fishing methods used and the management plans currently in place. Seafood in the green section are abundant and the fisheries are well-managed. Enjoy these often! Seafood in the yellow section raise significant concern due to some aspect of the fishery, such as fishing gear that damages habitat or takes in a lot of bycatch. We should make an alternate choice from the green list, or at least not eat these species as often. If a fish has a lot of problems, such as severe overfishing, poor management and high rates of bycatch, it is in the red section. It's best not to eat these species at all - until things change for them. In addition to making a difference with your seafood choices, you can take part in local conservation projects like beach and river cleanups. The ocean is downstream from us all, and we can protect it and all the animals that live in it by keeping our local waters clean. By contacting your legislators about ocean conservation issues, you can help shape public policies that promote sustainable fisheries. And support Shedd Aquarium's conservation programs by becoming a member. For more information on seafood choices: National Audubon Society's Living Oceans Program: www.audubon.org/campaign/lo/seafood/index.html Environmental Defense "Which Fish is Best?": www.environmentaldefense.org/pubs/factsheets/s_fishchoices.html Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Chart: www.mbayaq.org/efc/efc_oc/dngr_food_watch.asp Marine Stewardship Council: www.msc.org | ||
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