June 9, 2016 — The US exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the ocean is the world’s largest, and American fishery management is the world’s best. Yet more than 90% of all seafood consumed in the US is imported, and more than 75% is one of only four species: shrimp (mostly farmed in Asia), salmon (mostly farmed in Chile), tuna (almost all canned), and whitefish (mostly tilapia farmed under the most dubious conditions).
Wild fishing is the last true hunting on earth. Seafood is universally considered the healthiest protein. With the waters surrounding America’s traditional wild fishing communities blessed with dozens of abundant, sustainable, healthy and delicious species, why don’t Americans accept the incredible gifts bestowed on them?.
Americans are accustomed to cheap protein. Corn, soy and wheat are government subsidized and provide artificially low cost feed to industrial meat production. That means cheap meat for consumers, but at a frightening cost to the environment, small farmers, animal welfare, and human health.
Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is a worldwide scourge, and last year’s AP investigative report shone a light on rampant seafood slavery. Harvesting fish illegally without any labor cost is an excellent business model for cheap imported seafood.
Meanwhile traditional American fishing communities have struggled under the stringent but essential US fisheries management policies that have brought our fisheries back from the brink to the rebuilt status of today. We owe it ourselves to reward domestic fishermen for their gallant efforts.