 |
Fish are still being hunted on a large scale.
© Dan Wagner |
|
|
It's not easy eating green
The diner’s dilemma
A century ago, markets in American cities regularly offered the meat of buffalo, cranes, and other wild land animals for the dinner table; today, fish and other marine creatures are the last wildlife still to be commercially hunted on a large scale. But because we do not identify as strongly with what goes on beneath the ocean, we do not always realize the negative ecological ripples that we might be causing when we feed on seafood. Whereas certain fish (such as line-caught striped bass) might be a more environmentally-friendly food choice than lettuce grown under heavy pesticide use, the choice to eat other species (such as mako sharks) is the ecological equivalent of eating tigers.
Even the decision to eat poultry or red meat instead of seafood is not without impacts on the marine system. About a third of the total fish catch worldwide is used to make animal feeds; many farm-raised livestock in particular are fed high-protein meal made from fish. Clearly, few perfect dietary choices present themselves; consuming only home-grown "organic" vegetables would come closest. Nevertheless, there are clearly "better" and "worse" choices. Assuming that you like to eat seafood, the following guide is presented simply to offer the best-available scientific advice, so that you can make informed and careful decisions when you dine.
|
| |
|
1 of 3 |
|
 |
|
|
|