Environmental_Ethics_-_Fishing_Industry

Fish are Friends, Not Food SOC 120 02/22/10 Fish are Friends, Not Food The earth was at one time a place of seemingly infinite resources, but as human populations have grown, the strain on those resources has increased significantly. There is substantial evidence that the strain on these resources could and will dramatically affect our quality of life and ability to sustain certain critical eco-systems. Some of these endangered resources include fossil fuels, fresh water and agricultural crops. The decaying availability of resources is a result of many decades without any viable resource management plan or environmental ethics at an influential level. Humanity has taken for granted that everything we use will regenerate and always be available. Increasing populations and advancing technology contribute to an exponential consumption rate of everything we use to sustain our way of living. We also live in a society today that has awareness of the benefits of eating healthier and taking better care of our bodies. The ideal of ego over mantra has permeated our lifestyles to the point where selfishness has created entire industries dedicated to healthy living and looking good. These two cultural by products of a society living carelessly in the now without thought to the effect on our environment have finally collided in our oceans. Sushi, the preparation of fresh fish in an assortment of artistic ways as a meal has exploded in several large countries because of its known health benefits and cultural trend setting. The increasing demand for fresh fish because of the globalization of the Sushi industry has added an exponential strain on the oceans’ resources and has the potential to collapse entire oceanic ecological systems unless a practical, ethical solution to commercial fishing is found. A food once considered a delicacy and an art form in the East has become a cultural boom in Western society. Sushi was originally created in Japan in the 19th century as a snack treat sold by street vendors. Alex Renton of The Observer magazine in London provided an in depth look at Sushi. “It was a street food, a working-class dish - as so often, haute cuisine borrowed and tarted up a staple of the poor. Modern sushi - in the sense of raw fish served on vinegared rice - began at a street-food stall in the city of Edo, now Tokyo, in 1824. The stall's owner, Yohei Hanaya, was the first person to shape vinegared rice with his hands and then crown it with a slice of raw fish - prompted, it's said, by impatient customers, who couldn't be bothered to wait for the traditional pressing in a box. ” (Renton, A. 2006) Since then it has become a worldwide cultural phenomenon, not just because of its unique presentation and intimate settings, but the health benefits of eating fish are well documented. Sushi is not fried or cooked so many of the nutrients in fish are retained. It’s low in fat and high in Omega-3 fatty acids, a well documented health benefit. It has become a trend in health and fitness to eat fish in the western world. If people want to lose weight, they eat fish. A new obsession with the Omega-3 fatty acids has emerged; fish are starting to compete with the beef and poultry industries. Americans are encouraged to eat fish to help prevent heart disease, strokes, osteoporosis, and even to slow down the aging process, according to some. The only exceptions in a totally healthy sushi dinner could come from some of the more exotic recipes that have various sauces or some ingredients that are deep-fried such as tempura style vegetables or shrimp. Other than that, Sushi has been established as a quick, easy and healthy alternative to fast food. A high demand for fish products as a result in both awareness of health benefits and a cultural shift in dining pleasures have of course resulted in a higher demand for fish. Oceanic fishing has been supporting all kinds of different industries for many years. However, it has not come to light as an ecological or ethical issue until recently. We've seen an explosion of the sushi phenomenon in Russia, Dubai, and elsewhere in East Asia: particularly China who with their mere size could double demand in only a few short years. A localized street snack has turned into a worldwide industry. We've never seen so large a market demand make that leap so quickly. An article by Glenn McGee as posted on a Scientific magazines’ website called The Scientist notes that “The problem of diminishing saltwater fish populations is not a new one; the United Nations has reported consistently since the mid-1990s that all 17 of the world's major fishing areas have been fished to the point that sustainability is seriously in question for many if not most of the commercially harvested species there. “ (McGee, 2006). As demand for products created by these industries increased, the means for maximizing resources has also contributed to an exponential loss in fish populations. The competitive nature of the industry created a variety of innovative ways of increasing the amount of fish caught. Fishing boats have been getting larger and more plentiful and the technology being used has been getting more advanced. An Australian Government report by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry states, “A wide range of vessels and equipment are used to extract an even wider range of marine organisms from the waters.... Technological advancements have increased the efficiency of fishing and expanded the environments that may be fished. Such advancements relate to the design of fishing vessels and the fishing gear being utilized, as well as the variety of electronic equipment used to locate and target fish.” (D.A.F.F., 2007) The use of sonar equipment is very commonplace in many fishing vessels. Modern sonar gives the ability to locate schools of fish allowing the fishermen to deploy the fishing gear accurately to target the school. Even the use of satellite imaging has emerged as a viable method to locate fish. All of these advancements to maximize the catch are making an impact on the species’ ability to sustain their populations. By the same token, this technology can help contribute to an ethical solution to over fishing and destruction of habitats. An increasingly important aspect of fishing technology relates to reducing what is called “by-catch”. This refers to unwanted fish and other organisms caught by the gear such as seabirds and turtles. It can also help reduce the impact of the gear on the marine environment such as ocean floor species and plant life. Recent work has centered on developing by-catch reduction devices (BRDs) for sea turtles. However, fishermen are also discovering that these devices can go beyond the avoidance of a specific species, and be used to exclude a range of unwanted organisms, producing a 'cleaner' catch, making them more efficient. Because the nature of the catch and by-catch is highly specific to the fishery or area, development of by-catch reducing technology is an ongoing process involving extensive experimentation and testing within different fisheries. Reducing by-catch and the effect of fishing on the marine environment should remain a priority for fishing regulatory organizations; both government and private sector. Technological developments have the potential to provide solutions. However, because of the cost and availability of this technology, only a small percentage of fishing operations include them at this time and remain ill equipped for a unilateral ethical solution. The increase in demand, technology and diminishing resources creates a highly competitive environment. Competition between fishing companies has been getting stiffer. Not only that, but the popularization of the industry through television shows such as Discovery Channels’ “Most Dangerous Catch” have glorified and brought light to the lucrative business that it is. Tuna was largely worthless in the market place a decade or two ago and since the explosion of the Sushi industry, and with some chefs paying up to $100.00 USD per pound, these populations are high on the list of targeted species. All of this has evolved as a result for demand without regard to the ethics of preserving our environmental resources. An interview by Devin Stewart with Sasha Issenberg, the author of the book The Sushi Economy - Globalization and the Making of a Modern Delicacy makes mention that “International regulations and quota regimes haven't been able to keep up with the unsustainable disconnect between the limited supply and the seemingly unending demand.” (Stewart, 2007) For future generations of humanity in addition to the survival of many species, both in and out of the oceans, an ethical solution to the consumption of these resources is becoming more and more crucial. In consideration of all this, we can conclude that the term ‘Over fishing’ can apply to how we are currently acquiring the resources for the Sushi industry. Over fishing has a negative effect on oceanic ecosystems. It results in a domino effect of sorts. Species that aren’t targeted by fishers can then become unnaturally dominant as their primary predator diminishes in population. Whereas in the regular chain of species success, they would be lower on the proverbial food chain, they can then act as invasive species in their own ecosystem. There are other more ominous and unforeseen, possibly permanent changes in the ocean food chains caused by over fishing. Extinction of species caught up as by catch and widespread depletion of the oceans top predators, the sharks, tunas and billfishes can upset predator to prey relationships that took millions of years to evolve. Depleting fish populations can alter and diminish the genetic and species diversity of the ocean world, affecting food supply for other species that extend beyond the waters of the ocean. According the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, “Seven of the top ten marine fish species -- which together account for about 30 percent of all capture fisheries production -- are fully exploited or overexploited” ( FAO, 2008) The dramatic increase of destructive and unregulated fishing techniques worldwide destroys marine mammals and entire ecosystems. The Food and Agriculture Organization reports that illegal and unreported fishing appear to be increasing as fishermen seek to avoid stricter rules in many places in response to shrinking catches and declining fish stocks. Where does an Ethical solution exist for this environmental threat' Technology and innovation seems to be the most direct approach since regulation, laws and enforcement of fishing restrictions are embedded with many different conflicts. There is the conflict of how restrictions on such a high demand would affect jobs and a worldwide economy. There are the ethical considerations of how entire communities founded on commercial fishing could disappear. Regulation becomes too difficult because the resources to enforce any laws would simply be too costly. Fishermen and the means to catch fish, the market clearly outweigh any current political or governmental agencies’ access to the resources to enforce them. The ocean is a BIG place! One of those technologies is known as Aquaculture, in which fish are farmed in controlled environments, much like cattle and poultry. This has been fairly successful for certain types of shellfish like Oysters and Shrimp. But by nature, these species continually clean their habitats. Fish do not. Aquaculture is thought to offer at least a partial solution to our current marine crisis, but at the moment, it doesn't. This is largely because of the awful side-effects of badly-run, intensively stocked farms. There are many issues that currently make most fish farming operations unsustainable. These include the vast quantities of wild fish that are killed to feed the farmed ones, escaping fish, which mingle with local wild populations, the use of powerful chemicals to kill parasites and the degradation of the marine environment due to build-ups of fish excrement. A more debatable solution exists in conservation. It is impossible for the world to continue pillaging its oceans to such a scale and expect the ocean to always respond by continually filling up the nets. Conservation efforts would need to address a variety of issues including economic concerns, environmental concerns, public concerns, and fishing industry concerns. Conservation solutions should be developed while keeping an ecosystem approach in mind. Most importantly, plans that work should not be abandoned when things are going well. It is crucial to implement, enforce, and maintain plans so that fish stocks regain their health and the fishing industries become economically lucrative yet sustainable. There is also the concept known as ‘Catch Shares’. This methodology implements a construct of directives such as adjusting the length of the fishing season, refining areas that are opened or closed to fishing, restricting gear to protect fish habitat and limiting catch size. Catch shares are a complex resource management alternative but creates the best balance for all vested interests. They allocate fishing privileges as a share of allowable fish to individuals, cooperatives, communities or groups of fishermen. By doing this, privileges are granted to only part of the total catch and do not provide exclusive property rights to the resource. However, on the other hand, a report by the PEW Environment Group states that “Catch shares are not a cure-all for fisheries management problems and should not be considered an end unto themselves; rather, they should be evaluated as one of a number of possible tools that councils can employ when developing management plans.” The sudden growth of the sushi industry has exponentially increased the demand for consumable species of fish. This is in addition to the preceding market for frozen fish for consumption in other ways such as baked cod, swordfish steaks and boiled lobster. Without an ethical, effective and sustainable management system for commercial fishing in place, other ecosystems including the one people live in will be adversely affected in any myriad of ways. The future of not only the species of the oceans but that of all living things on the planet, including humanity is dependent on a sustainable ecosystem in our oceans. The implications of an unsustainable oceanic ecosystem will be devastating for humanity. We are faced with a number of environmental challenges. We seem bound to exist as a predator in regard to our environment. In the case of oceanic conservation, and in light of a booming industry that stands to go belly-up from mass extinctions, we should take a step back and perhaps think of our selves as a shark. Maybe ‘Bruce‘ the shark, as in the animated character from the Walt Disney movie ‘Finding Nemo’ would be a good character to assimilate. He makes sure to point out that he’s different than other predators, when introducing himself to the fish around him. “I am a nice shark, not a mindless eating machine. If I am to change this image, I must first change myself. Fish are friends, not food.” – Bruce the Shark References: Alex Renton.  (2006, February 26). OFM: How sushi ate the world: From the cutting edge of Tokyo and New York to the chilled cabinet at Boots, sushi is fast becoming the global convenience food of choice. But, Alex Renton asks, can raw fish and cold rice ever become the new Big Mac' The Observer, 47.  Retrieved February 6, 2010, from ProQuest Newsstand. (Document ID: 994228141). McGee,G., (2006) Want Fish' Ethics First, Please, The Scientist-Volume 20 | Issue 12 | Page 24. Retrieved from: http://www.the-scientist.com/article/home/36663/ on 2/7/10 Stewart, D. (2007, August 27) – [Interview with Sasha Issenberg]. The tale of sushi in a global economy. Retrieved February 7, 2010 from www.globalenvision.org/library/24/1737 Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (D.A.F.F.) 2007. Australian government, Bureau of Rural Sciences. Retrieved from http://www.daff.gov.au/brs/fisheries-marine/info/technology on February 16, 2010 PEW Environment Group; ‘Design Matters – Making Catch Shares Work’ (2007) Retrieved from: http://www.pewtrusts.org/uploadedFiles/wwwpewtrustsorg/Reports/Protecting_ocean_life/CatchShare.pdf'n=5322 on February 20,2010 United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 2008. Depleted fish stocks require recovery efforts Retrieved from: http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2005/100095/index.html on February 19,2010 http://www.ewg.org/fishing-subsidies