Ask Not What Your Seafood Can Do For You…
Most of you are probably familiar with the notion that seafood is good for us, being a lean source of protein with Omega-3 fatty acids. In fact, according to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), more than 2.6 billion people get their protein from seafood. You may also have heard warnings about heavy metals and other toxins in carnivorous fish like tuna. So what’s the story? Is seafood good for you, or not? Clearly there are benefits and risks, but I’d like to suggest you consider the other side of this question: are your habits good for seafood?
Let’s be clear; I’m not asking whether you would make a healthful meal for a shark; rather, I’m asking you to consider how your daily habits affect our global seafood supply, and I assure you, they do.
A Scary Truth
I recently read two articles related to our ocean ecosystems, both of which scare the daylights out of me. The first is a recent UNEP report echoing dire warnings I’ve heard since I first began studying oceans: global warming is compounding damage from overfishing and pollution, likely accelerating the collapse of global fish stocks, which have been in severe decline in recent decades. Think of it this way: even if you don’t eat seafood at all, the emissions from driving your car and heating your home adversely affect marine ecosystems globally. It’s a small world.
The second article is from Best Life Magazine (thanks Erin for sending this along) entitled, “Our oceans are turning into plastic . . . are we?” The article highlights the growing epidemic of plastic pollution in our oceans, and consequently, in our food chain. A few years ago as a researcher, I sailed to Palmyra Atoll, a tiny island in the Equatorial Pacific considered to be one of the most pristine tropical ecosystems left in the world. The shore was awash in plastic garbage: yogurt containers, shoes, curlers, forks and more. As the article points out, “Except for the small amount that’s been incinerated—and it’s a very small amount—every bit of plastic ever made still exists.” Every piece of plastic you’ve ever used and thrown away exists somewhere in a landfill, on a “pristine” tropical island, in the stomach of a sea bird, or even in your food.
Reading these stories is enough to keep a person awake at night, but as dire as the situation may be, these warnings are not foregone conclusions. We can embark on a trajectory for a brighter future, and I don’t just mean the royal We. I’m talking about you and me and simple things we can do to make a difference.
Consumer Power
You wield significant power as a consumer. Although this can be easy to forget, your consumer choices constitute a highly effective way to effect positive change, so put your consumer power to work!
Print out a Seafood Watch Card from the Monterey Bay Aquarium or the Guide to Ocean Friendly Seafood from the Blue Ocean Institute, and take it with you to the grocery store or when you go out to dinner. Ask your local grocery stores and restaurants to carry sustainable seafood choices, and let them know that it’s important to you to know where your seafood comes from and how it was caught. Encourage them to make a difference by offering sustainable choices.
You also have choices regarding types of plastic you purchase, if any at all. If given the choice, opt for glass or for recyclable plastics (PET #1 and HDPE #2) and avoid others as much as possible. Reuse existing plastic containers. Instead of buying individual shampoo and conditioner bottles for your family, buy in bulk. Get creative. Every little bit helps!
Money Talks
In addition to your power as a consumer, you also have the option of supporting organizations working for positive change. There are a great many organizations out there working to make seafood healthier for you and to make our oceans healthier for seafood. Support them, and you’ll be supporting human health as well as the health of marine ecosystems worldwide.
Political Power
Your vote counts. Your voice counts. Use both. Support environmental measures where you live and encourage your representatives to do the same. Share your knowledge with friends to cultivate a greater level of awareness: link to this blog and share your ideas with fellow athletes by leaving a comment!
Check out some of these websites for more information.
For a more literary approach to learning, here are some great reads.
- Song For the Blue Ocean, by Carl Safina
- Sea Stories, online collection of essays
- The Empty Ocean, by Richard Ellis
- Sea Change: A Message of the Oceans, by Sylvia Earle
Photos from Monterey Bay Aquarium.
