Tradeoffs in fishing

Most likely due at least part to human influence, whether pollution or overfishing, the salmon fishery on the West Coast continues to struggle. Environmental groups used to rate salmon a highly sustainable product, but that rating has gone south, and with it, the value of the product. Apparently sustainability labeling actually makes a difference, which is a good sign for realistic environmentalists.

On other other hand aquaculture, the popular solution to overfishing, is now coming under increased scrutiny. Tilapia, a highly productive and somewhat tasty fish species, has been raised successfully all over the world, but questions about associated environmental damage and decreased nutritional value of farmed fish persist.

One partial answer? Minimizing waste: keeping systems as closed as possible. Waste generated in production processes becomes pollution. Waste produced by farmed fish- or the fish themselves when they escape their cates- become pollution, damaging the environment. Excess inputs whether food given to farmed fish or water put on agricultural land create problems, and being efficient is the solution.