Rethink how we source food from the ocean

Seafood provides roughly 3.3 billion people with ~20% of their animal protein. Fisheries play an integral role in our world’s diet. But with species and populations disappearing, we must manage fisheries properly, and rethink how we consume fish as a resource.

For example, humanity’s current harvesting of salmon takes an incredible toll on the species and its ecosystem. It’s predicted that salmon populations will decline by 90% over the next 40 years, and in this time, the ~140 species in the North Pacific that have a critical relationship with salmon will fight for survival alongside them. While many animals’ diets rely directly on the fish, others benefit indirectly by consuming the salmon’s predators. Once ingested, the high nitrogen and phosphorus contents from this unsung hero of the ecosystem are deposited into its nearby environment– introducing two elements critical to plant growth.

As the demand grows, salmon populations face devastating overfishing in aquaculture farms. In an attempt to mitigate population depletion, hatcheries arose, bringing with them their own set of problems. Escaped hatchery-bred salmon weaken gene pools, and introduce harmful viruses and parasites into wild populations. Additionally, infrastructure blocks their migration, urban and mining runoff toxify waterways, and logging-associated erosion destroys habitats.

To support our ocean and our planet’s health, it’s imperative that we look at our reliance on its resources and readjust our relationship with them. By prioritizing longevity and ecosystem balance, we can live in harmony with the ocean and its creatures. Protecting the wild heart of our ocean means protecting its wild inhabitants and the ecosystems they have kept in balance for thousands of years.