Summary
Highlights
Paul Greenberg recounts his childhood love for fishing in Connecticut, where he observed a diverse array of marine life. Upon returning in the early 90s, he noticed a significant reduction in fish populations, reflecting a broader trend where human consumption has narrowed down to a few key species. He compares this phenomenon to historical trends where diverse food sources were reduced to a few domesticated animals.
Modern fishing techniques, heavily influenced by WWII technology, have led to a massive increase in catch capacity. Annually, 80 to 90 million metric tons of fish are extracted from the sea, equivalent to the human weight of China. Aquaculture has further exacerbated this, with farmed fish production now exceeding wild catches. China leads both in fishing and fish farming.
Shrimp is the most consumed seafood in the West, but its production is highly damaging. Wild shrimp fishing kills 5-15 pounds of other fish for every pound of shrimp harvested and is extremely fuel-intensive. Farmed shrimp often leads to the destruction of critical mangrove forests and involves 'Grinding Nemo,' where vast amounts of bycatch (small fish) are ground up to feed shrimp.
Tuna, being a global and warm-blooded fish, is difficult to manage and unsuitable for aquaculture due to its high activity levels. Salmon populations have been decimated by dams that block their spawning routes. While salmon aquaculture has improved its feed efficiency, the massive scale of production still results in the consumption of millions of metric tons of wild 'forage' fish. Disturbingly, fish are fed to chickens and pigs, and vice-versa, creating an unsustainable and messy food web.
The category of 'whitefish' has seen a progression from halibut to Atlantic cod, and now to Alaska pollock in popular items like the Filet-O-Fish. As each species is depleted, a new one takes its place. The next likely candidate is tilapia, which, despite being efficient and sustainable for local communities, doesn't meet Western desires for omega-3 rich fish.
Greenberg proposes several sustainable alternatives. Eating small pelagic fish (clupeids) like sardines directly instead of feeding them to farmed fish would be more fuel-efficient and provide omega-3s. Mussels are highly sustainable, filtering water, rich in omega-3s, and require far less carbon to produce than beef. Seaweed is also an excellent option, filtering water, rich in nutrients, and even usable as cattle feed. He also suggests developing vegetarian, fast-growing, adaptable, and omega-3 rich aquacultured fish to create a net gain in marine protein.