{"id":13040,"date":"2015-02-25t10:10:50","date_gmt":"2015-02-25t10:10:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dpetrov.2create.studio\/planet\/wordpress\/plenty-of-fish-in-the-sea\/"},"modified":"2015-02-25t10:10:50","modified_gmt":"2015-02-25t10:10:50","slug":"plenty-of-fish-in-the-sea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/story\/plenty-of-fish-in-the-sea\/","title":{"rendered":"plenty of fish in the sea?"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

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gone fishin’<\/h2>\n

one of my favorite weekend activities when i was younger was going fishing with dad. on those unforgettable early mornings, he would come downstairs with a tackle box in one hand and two tall fishing poles in the other. he wouldn\u2019t have to say anything; i would just know we had a relaxing day at the lake ahead of us.<\/p>\n

once i arrived at the lake and cast off into the water, i would always wait patiently, watching my bobber, and hope for something to swim by and take a bite of the earthworm placed on my hook. my anticipation, however, was almost always in vain. little did i know, a combination of lake pollution and overfishing made it almost impossible to catch a fish.<\/p>\n

this may have not been so detrimental for me, but for a billion<\/a> others the issue of overfishing affects them in a much more dire way. they rely on fish for either their protein or for their livelihood; for them, not catching fish has much more significance than a disappointing afternoon.<\/p>\n

the problem has gotten <\/span>so<\/a> bad that the <\/span>food and agriculture organization<\/a> (<\/span>fao) estimates that <\/span>over 85 percent of the world\u2019s fisheries are either fully exploited, overexploited, depleted or recovering from depletion<\/strong>\u2014leading to the shocking statistic from the journal <\/span>science<\/em> that if nothing changes we will lose all of our fisheries by <\/span>2048<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"msc_new_logo_vertical2_0.jpg\"marine stewardship council<\/a> (msc) has set environmental standards and identified sustainable fisheries. by purchasing fish that bears the msc blue label, consumers can enjoy their food while knowing it came from a sustainable fishery.<\/p>\n

with over 15,000 products listed in stores, consumers can locate sustainable fish with the msc sustainable seafood product finder. they can also learn more<\/a> about the issue and make informed decisions about maintaining our fish supplies.<\/p>\n

– diana wilkinson<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

every thursday at 6 o\u2019clock, i meet a friend of mine at our favorite local sushi restaurant. and every thursday at 6 o\u2019clock, the two of us share our favorite rolls – spicy scallop, rainbow, salmon and avocado – and stories at a high top table in the small, second-story establishment, a hidden gem situated above a drug store on a quaint neighborhood street. we started this ritual almost six months ago, and we\u2019ve been meeting once a week, every week since.<\/p>\n

i never thought about where my seafood was coming from. and i definitely never thought that it might run out.<\/p>\n

according to recent reports, overfishing is a big problem, and my sushi might run out before i know it<\/strong> – maybe even before my friend and i can introduce our grandchildren to the traditional dish.<\/p>\n

already, 84% of fish stocks in the world are fully exploited, overexploited, or depleted.<\/a> another 1% is currently recovering from depletion. this is the effect of overfishing – which itself stems from many different causes. if we don\u2019t do something, experts from <\/a>science<\/em><\/a> believe that all of our fisheries will collapse by 2048<\/a>–<\/strong> and then what?<\/p>\n

forget about my sushi dates; what about the 1 billion people worldwide, primarily living in developing countries, who depend on fish as their main source of protein<\/a>?<\/p>\n

hopefully we never find out.<\/p>\n

if we can cut back on overfishing, we might be able to reverse this trend. after all, the atlantic bluefin tuna was projected to disappear by 2012<\/a>, but two years later, the fish is still found on seafood menus- though it remains on the endangered species list<\/a>. illegal fishing, the blurry property rights in fisheries, lack of regulation, persisting government subsidies, and other fishing practices all contribute to the problem<\/a>.<\/p>\n

the average consumer doesn\u2019t need to lose sleep over pirates or international maritime law, though. instead, seeking out sustainably fished or farmed seafood in the supermarket and in restaurants is a good place to start.<\/p>\n

here are some tools for the sustainable seafood shopper:<\/p>\n