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THE FISH ON
YOUR PLATE
NIGEL EATON, EDITOR
ANYONE INTERESTED IN THE OCEAN WORLD will find the recently published Good Fish Guide (see Diver News, April) fascinating reading. Were you aware that:
- new deepwater fishing techniques are likely to result in many species becoming extinct before individuals have been seen alive in the wild
- top ocean predators such as marine mammals, shark and seabirds are still being pointlessly killed in huge numbers as the "by-catch" of specialist fisheries
- Japan maintains that whales eat four times the world fish catch and that, generally, competition between fisheries and whales is on the increase
- half the world's mangrove forests have already been destroyed to create ponds for farming prawns and shrimps?
The book is published by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) with support from the Loch Fyne Marine Trust and PADI Project AWARE. Its message is not just that overfishing is now widely acknowledged as the greatest threat to marine biodiversity, but that it might actually overshadow all other human disturbance of marine ecosystems - including pollution and climate change.
However, it also reveals how much progress has been made in stopping destructive fishing activities in many parts of the world. And it tackles subjects as diverse as animal welfare (how fish are captured and killed), social concerns (such as threats to subsistence fishing in developing nations, and the demise of traditional fishing communities elsewhere), and the pros and cons of fish-farming.
In its prime purpose of naming the 20 fish species most at risk, and suggesting acceptable alternatives, the Good Fish Guide is essential reading for every diver who buys and eats fish.
Here is a list featuring familiar species such as haddock, skate, sea bass and monkfish. Most of us had no idea they were in trouble.
Included, too, are little-known creatures such as the orange roughy - latterly caught in deep water as an alternative to traditional white fish, but which, long-lived (around 125 years), and with a relatively high age at first maturity, is particularly vulnerable to exploitation.
There is guidance on labelling schemes, worldwide legislation, and the sourcing policies of major supermarkets. As the book points out: "As consumers, we are all stakeholders and can contribute to the responsible management of fish stocks by demanding that the fish we eat is from sustainably managed stocks and that the way in which it is caught causes minimum damage to the marine environment."
It's a compelling argument. Read it. Support the efforts of the MCS (www.mcsuk.org). Whenever possible, vote with your fork.
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