Ever gone to a restaurant and ordered the salmon? Ever bought anchovies at the grocery store? Ever opened a can of tuna?
I’m sure most of us have done all those things at some point, but how many of us think about where that fish came from, and do we ever ponder its derivation? I would guess not.
Yet nowadays, the news has gone to great lengths to inform you about the problem of overfishing and its devastating effects in the future. In fact, journalist Lea Terhune states in her article “Fishery Conservation Act Aims to End Overfishing in America” that according to a recent scientific study, by 2048 the world’s fish stocks could collapse completely.
How can we solve this problem of overfishing? The news has also provided information on that topic too: sustainable fishing.
Sustainable fishing is by definition, the renewal of sources of fish and our way of renewal is fish farms and hatcheries where fish are bred, grown and sold to the world. I admit that this solution sounds perfect, but through much research, I assure you it is not.
This daring conclusion startled me too. But I have the valid points and evidence to back up this claim. Many Americans have turned toward sustainable fishing because they believe it will save the fish, yet it creates more havoc than it solves.
First of all, in order to sustain the fish farms, live fish from the oceans are needed to be brought in to feed the hatched fish. This cancels out some of the positive reasoning behind sustainable fishing because there would still be a heavy toll of fish taken out of the ocean.
Also, sustainability is expensive and costs tax payers’ money to function. Another point is that fish from hatcheries carry ten times more toxins than the ones in the ocean. These toxins include dioxin, PCBs, and other potential carcinogens that are harmful to the human body.
By eating the natural fish, we can still remain organic and true to what nature has given us, not to mention that sustainable fish cost more than wild fish, so not only would we be saving money but we will stay healthier, too.
Sustainable fishing has always been thought of as the answer to this dilemma, yet the quandary still exists. I understand that the depletion of fish species is inclining, but instead of an alternate solution, we should target the main crisis: careless human action and lackadaisical motives prove that not enough protection is being provided to our seas. We could prevent the loss of our fish easily but do not, and therein lies the problem: the fishermen.
One of the ways to stop overfishing is to increase expectations on the fishermen. So many companies damage the ocean floor, catch fish they do not intend to use, or simply catch more than they are supposed to. Inspections need to be done on these industries to make sure they are preserving marine life, avoiding wasting fish and only catch their quota.
If we ensure the quality of the fishermen and cut out the dishonest ones, we can help save our oceans as well as still be able to eat natural fish instead of resorting to “man-made” fish. Make the best decision for your fish and country; when fishing laws are being passed, keep the right fishermen on the seas by supporting the restriction of fishing regulations.
Sarah Young is from Grand Junction and is currently a freshman at CSU. Guest commentary submissions of up to 650 words may be sent to openforum@denverpost.com. This online-only guest commentary has not been edited.
