The End Is Near For Fish

For three billion people around the planet, seafood is a critical portion of the daily diet. And that's the problem. There are too many people consuming too much fish and there isn't enough to go around. The ones we like to eat are vanishing from the oceans. This can’t last. The oceans are stretched, and certain fish species are approaching depletion. Leading scientists project that if we continue to fish this way, without allowing our oceans time to recover, our oceans could become virtual deserts by 2050. That’s just 36 years from now. Given that demand for seafood – along with the world’s population – is rising, don’t be surprised if this window closes even faster. Make your peace with fish, because it may not last much longer.

The Census of Marine Life concluded in 2010 that 90 percent of the large fish are gone, primarily because of overfishing. This includes many of the fish we love to eat, like Atlantic salmon, tuna, halibut, swordfish, Atlantic cod. If we don’t allow for proper recovery, these fish risk total extinction.

The answer is fish farming, or aquaculture as it's called. The oceans can’t physically keep up with the rising demand for fish, so we need farming to grow. By 2022, the output of fish from aquaculture must be 35 percent higher than current levels. The global aquaculture market is expected to jump from $135 billion today to $195 billion by 2019, with the added benefit of more jobs and economic growth.

If we want to continue enjoying seafood, two things must happen: First, the ocean must be allowed to regenerate. This means fishing moratoriums, especially on certain species that are on the brink of extinction, and better management of fisheries.  And second, we must supplement wild catch with healthy, sustainably farmed fish. As early as 2015, farming is expected to surpass fisheries as the main producer of fish. But to safeguard the planet against some of the worst practices we've seen in other meat industries – such as overuse of antibiotics, water contamination and clear cutting of forests (or, in this case, mangroves and other habitats) – it must be done in an environmentally sound manner.