Overfishing occurs when fish are caught faster than they can reproduce. Long-lived fish like orange roughy and Chilean sea bass are especially vulnerable to overfishing because they take a number of years to reach reproductive age. This means they have to dodge nets and hooks for several seasons before they are old enough to spawn. But even fish that mature early and have shorter life spans are not immune. Atlantic cod, a once plentiful species, has been fished so heavily that scientists are concerned that certain populations may never recover.
Habitat destruction occurs when fishing methods damage the seafloor or when fish farms are built or operated in a harmful manner. Bottom trawlers drag heavy nets along the seafloor, literally bulldozing everything in their path. Some farms are built with open systems and are not equipped to prevent fish waste and other pollution from spilling into the surrounding environment.
Aquaculture is the practice of fish farming. Fish farming can be done responsibly, but some fish farms use destructive methods. The best examples of aquaculture are those farms that are able to control their pollution and raise fish on sustainable diets. Some farmed species require animal protein to grow, which means heavily fishing wild stocks to meet the nutritional needs of the farmed fish. From a sustainability standpoint, that defeats the purpose of fish farming. On the other hand, aquaculture of species that eat a plant-based diet doesn’t drain the ocean’s dwindling resources.
Download a Right Bite wallet card to see which fisheries have overcome these issues and offer environmentally friendly seafood.
