Scientists, along with the U.N., project that by 2050, our oceans will be so depleted of fish due to overfishing that seafood will be a delicious thing of the past.
The demand for seafood is at an all time high, and so is the world’s population, which is consistently growing at a rate of 1.14 percent each year.
Seafood is a significant part of more than three billion people’s diets. According to ARAMARK, a food service provider, seafood consumption is up 30 percent from 1980.
This growth in popularity has consequences for habitats and fish species. In fact, 90 percent of large fish are gone, according to Census of Marine Life. This includes Atlantic salmon, tuna, halibut and swordfish.
Another problem is that up to 32 percent of seafood coming into the United States is illegal that means authorities aren’t able to monitor if people are consuming endangered species. If imported illegally, protecting these species becomes exceptionally harder.
Fish farming, or aquaculture, is the answer some think will help sustain fish populations. Growing and maintaining fish in specified farms like cow farms on land could help combat overfishing.
However, there are stigmas surrounding aquaculture: Critics point to the overuse of antibiotics and environmental harms as why these fish farms would not work.
And of course there’s always the option of taking seafood off the menu worldwide, but without a definite answer, our oceans could become fishless deserts soon.
2014 RYOT Corp