Media From The Press Sustainable Fishing and Eating Traditions
| Sustainable Fishing and Eating Traditions |
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There but the Grace of Cod The English Times had a good article about depletion of fish stocks, what alternatives are finding their way to the English tradition and the repercussions of these alternatives. Sustainable fishing is becoming an issue for a number of reasons. The depletion of fish stocks (cod, halibut, haddock for the British fishing industry), the environmental impacts of fish farming (over use of pesticides and antibiotics), the hygene of asian fish farms are all issues worth considering. The article states that a number of tropical fish are substituting the British staple fish such. Fish such as tilapia, Asian catfish, tropical prawn do not have the same taste as the traditional fish. Moreover there have also been cases of tropical catfish being sold as flounder or Dover sole or grouper. The blogs following the article contested the figures for depletion quoted by article. However the article does raise a number of pertinent issues: If future generations are to enjoy fish the way our parents did, fishing has to be conducted sustainably Fish farming is not without dangers, pesticides and antibiotics can pose serious problems to the environment as well. Fish farming practices or malpractices (such as feeding animal manure to certain species) can be harmful to human health
Who knows if the Lampuka will be overfished one day?
Comments More sensitivity is needed on these issues. This is much more important than bird hunting or trapping, yet there is no debate about this in Malta. Moreover there seems to be a lack of regulation on two levels: Who is monitoring the local fish farms for the use and abuse of antibiotics and pesticides? Who is monitoring the environment around fish farms for the negative effect of fish farms on the marine environment Do the fish farm owners have any obligation to restore the harm that fish farms cause to the environment? Are there any consumer groups monitoring the selling of tropical fish in the guise of traditionally caught fished?
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/article7137323.ece
image from; www.di-ve.com/Default. |
