From: http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5352 Oceans in Peril: Protecting Marine Biodiversity publ 2007 “Life almost certainly originated in the oceans, yet the biological diversity of marine habitats is threatened by the activities of one largely land-based species: us. The activities through which humans threaten marine life include overfishing, use of destructive fishing methods, pollution, and commercial aquaculture. In addition, climate change and the related acidification of the oceans is already having an impact on some marine ecosystems. Essential to solving these problems will be more equitable and sustainable management of the oceans as well as stronger protection of marine ecosystems through a well-enforced network of marine reserves. Presently, 76 percent of the world’s fish stocks are fully exploited or overexploited, and many species have been severely depleted, largely due to our growing appetite for seafood. Current fisheries management regimes contribute to the widespread market-driven degradation of the oceans by failing to implement and enforce adequate protective measures. Many policymakers and scientists now agree that we must adopt a radical new approach to managing the seasons that is precautionary in nature and has the protection of the whole marine ecosystem as its primary objective. This “ecosystem approach” is vital if we are to ensure the health of our oceans for future generations.
An ecosystem approach promotes both conservation and the sustainable use of marine resources in an equitable way. It is a holistic approach that considers environmental protection and marine management together, rather than as two separate and mutually exclusive goals. Paramount to the application of this approach is the establishment of networks of fully protected marine reserves, in essence, “national parks” of the sea. These provide protection of whole ecosystems and enable biodiversity to both recover and flourish. They also benefit fisheries by allowing for spillover of fish and larvae or eggs from the reserve into adjacent fishing grounds.
Outside of the reserves, an ecosystem approach requires the sustainable management of fisheries and other resources. Demands on marine resources must be managed within the limits of what the ecosystem can provide indefinitely, rather than being allowed to expand as demographic and market forces dictate. An ecosystem approach requires protection at the level of the whole ecosystem. This is radically different from the current practice, where most fisheries management measures focus simply on single species and do not consider the role of these species in the wider ecosystem.
An ecosystem approach is also precautionary in nature, meaning that a lack of knowledge should not excuse decision-makers from taking action, but rather lead them to err on the side of caution. The burden of proof must be placed on those who want to undertake activities, such as fishing or coastal development, to show that these activities will not harm the marine environment. In other words, current presumptions that favor freedom to fish and freedom of the seas will need to be replaced with the new concept of freedom for the seas.”

Oceans in Peril Quiz: http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5358

CATCH OF THE DAY: CHOOSING SEAFOOD FOR HEALTHIER OCEANS World Watch A t a time when international treaties, restrictive quotas, and global regulation of fleets have proven ineffective in pro- tecting beleaguered fish populations, a surprising ally is emerging to tackle the growing fisheries crisis. Buyers of seafood ;including individual consumers, school cafeterias, supermarket chains, and large food processors ;are choosing to avoid threatened or problematic species in favor of fish that are caught or raised with less impact on the world s oceans. While some seafood lovers are concerned about guaranteeing the future availability of popular fish, others wish to preserve the quality of today s seafood by knowing more about how and where it is caught. As more of our daily food options originate in factories, fish remains the last wild food we consume in large quantities and one of our few remaining direct connections to the natural world. Yet even as seafood becomes scarcer, we are eating more of it. Chinese consumers now eat roughly five times as much seafood per capita as they did in 1961, and total fish consumption in China has increased more than tenfold. Over the same period, U.S. seafood consumption jumped 2.5 times. For people living in wealthy nations, seafood is an increasingly popular health food option. With its high levels of fatty acids and trace minerals, nutritionists recognize it as essential to the development and maintenance of good neurological func- tion, not to mention reduced risk of cancer, heart disease, and other debilitating conditions. In poorer nations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, people are also eating more fish, if they can afford it. For more than one billion people, mostly in Asia, fish supplies 30 percent of their protein, versus just 6 percent worldwide. From high-profile celebrity campaigns, to shocking footage of shark finning, to the debut of wallet-sized seafood buying guides, everyday consumers are learning more about the consequences of their seafood purchases. The London-based Marine Stewardship Council, the largest global organization that certifies certain seafood as sustainable, has granted its label to 18 fisheries worldwide, including North Sea herring, Australian mackerel, and Baja California red rock lobster, and morethan 370 products in nearly 30 nations now carry the group’s Fish Forever logo. Meanwhile, certain seafood com- panies are beginning to base their business on the story behind the fish ;how it s raised, caught, and processed ; just as many supermarkets and agribusinesses now capitalize on rising interest in organic produce, grass-fed beef, and other environmentally friendly food alternatives. Even large chains like Unilever, Wal-Mart, and Red Lobster have made commit- ments to source their seafood only from intact fish populations or to celebrate the small-scale fishers whose techniques are gen- erally less destructive than industrial fleets. But this growing movement remains fragile, as the com- mitments of many participants remain incomplete or lack staying power. For instance, Wal-Mart s recent pledge to sell only certified sustainable fish in the next 5 years involves no commitments with respect to farmed salmon and Asian- farmed shrimp, which constitute the bulk of its seafood sales. And endangered swordfish, Atlantic cod, and Chilean sea bass are making a comeback on restaurant menus as chefs for- get past campaigns to protect them. Such consumer-oriented campaigns to save marine life aren t new. Previous efforts have been organized in the name of saving whales, seals, dolphins, or other marine species from extinction. Yet most of the fish we eat didn t seem to war- rant the same sort of protection ;a throwback to the long- standing view that the oceans are inexhaustible. Today, most of the world s seafood, from tuna to salmon to bay scallops, is threatened with extinction. For less-threatened species, like shrimp or farmed salmon, survival isn t so much the issue as how the fish is raised or caught, which can have adverse impacts on the environment or human health. In both cases, seafood eaters are increasingly invited to play a role in turning the situation around. Some seafood enthusiasts are going beyond simply investigating the origins of their fish to helping in shoreline cleanups, reforesting coastal areas, and raising shellfish to seed wild beds. A public that better understands the state of the world s oceans can be a driving force in helping governments pass legislation to ban destructive fishing, mandate seafood labels that indicate how fish were caught, and create marine preserves where fish can spawn off-limits to fishing. Being a more deliberate seafood eater doesn’t mean a spartan existence; in fact, it could be the only guarantee that fresh and healthy fish continues to appear on our tables.

5.6 Aquaculture as a sustainable Food Supply

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