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Conclusion on the mediterranean diet
Conclusion on the mediterranean diet
Conclusion on the mediterranean diet
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May 11, 2014
Jake Andrews
Food cultures
Mediterranean Diet at Risk Due to Overfishing
The use of fish in the Mediterranean diet is abundant to say the least. A traditional Mediterranean diet recommends consumption of fish and seafood a few times a week (health.usnews.com). In the event that fish were to be suddenly less accessible the entire diet would be compromised and almost unrecognizable. While this may seem unlikely, frequent overfishing is making this a serious possibility. Overfishing occurs when fish are caught at a rate faster than they can reproduce. A BBC article explains that “nearly one-third of the world’s fisheries are severely depleted, and there have been several high-profile examples of complete collapse” (bbc.co.uk). While this is clearly relevant to Mediterranean countries, little to no action has been taken. In fact, “Mediterranean countries rejected a push to list the blue-fin tuna as an endangered species” (forcechange.com). A multitude of studies have revealed that if overfishing continues to occur at its current rate, the world’s fisheries may be entirely exhausted as soon as 2050 (saveourseas.com). Not only will this gravely impact the Mediterranean diet, but also affect their economy as a whole. As the supply of fish decreases, demand and therefore price of fish will definitely go up. Consumers of a Mediterranean diet will face much higher prices to simply maintain the diet they are used to.
For most of history, humans physically could not overfish because of their methods and technology. Overfishing was not possible because “we couldn’t fish all of the places all of the time … [but] that isn’t necessarily true anymore” (eurekalert.org). Through enormous technological developments, fishermen now ha...
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...makes the issue of overfishing one that needs immediate attention. It seems that government action is the only means of solving overfishing. Although the fishing industry will be initially resistant to increased regulations, in the end the entire industry can end up better off. Although this is a global issue, it is more relevant in the Mediterranean than many other regions. If issues aren’t resolved now consumers of the Mediterranean diet will undoubtedly face increased food prices and therefore other cascading negative repercussions. A utilitarian approach is the only means of achieving true progress. Bearing the initial burden of a decrease in the supply of fish will not only save the oceans’ fish from devastation but also produce lasting benefits for both consumers and suppliers of fish. If serious initiative is not taken soon, the damage will be irreversible.
In this entertaining, search into global fish hatcheries, New York Times writer Paul Greenberg investigates our historical connection with the ever changing ocean and the wild fish within it. In the beginning of the book Paul is telling his childhood fishing stories to his friends, that night Paul discovers that that four fish dominate the world’s seafood markets in which are salmon, tuna, cod, and bass. He tries to figure out why this is and the only logical answer he could come up with is that four epochal shifts caused theses wild fish population to diminish. History shows that four epochal shifts happen within fifteen years causing certain fish species populations to diminish. He discovers for each of the four fish why this happened to
Since three-forth of the world is composed of bodies of water, it’s natural that a great number of people rely on fishing for their livelyhood or just for their recreation needs. There are numerous of fish species swimming under the lakes, seas, ponds, and rivers. Most anglers consider fishing as the delight in their purpose-driven life, a sport, as they say.
...s to remove the selfish entertainment from nature and focus instead on its intrinsic value. This in situ approach to conservation of cod, although seemingly surface level transcends the boundaries of economic, cultural, or any of such approximations and places the value on the existence of the species. Another projected solution for the crisis of the overexploitation of fish is the institution of moratoria, which establish that a certain species can no longer be hunted or fished in this context. This in situ attempt at regulating the consumption of cod allows the cod for time to replenish themselves and their populations. Yet, this type of regulation suggests that all humankind must do is step back and let for the problem to take care of itself, and as has been proven several times before stepping back and letting things resolve themselves do not end accordingly
Overfishing may have some benefits to it, but does it out way the negatives? By fulfilling our demand we can wipe out our whole oceans! Not just the fish, but water mammals too. Sure it can create jobs, but as what cost? It can help bring up our economy, but at the same time it can bring it down with many fish companies closing down due to lack of profit. Fish is a great source of nutrients, but too much can kill you! In other words, fish can be both beneficial and harmful to not only humans, but everyone and everything surrounding fish. There are three things people can do to help with overfishing, the first thing is to be aware of what you are eating. Is the fish on the fear of extinction list? Also asking yourself is the fish you’re about to eat really the fish you intend to eat? Another thing to ask is, was it shipped over seas? If it was it doesn’t benefit anyone, it won’t help the economy or you. Many fish shipped from a long ways creates pollution and may have lost its nutrients value from the long voyage. One last thing to do is if you see a sewer with a sign leading to the ocean, try not to leave trash near it, or better yet don’t litter at all! All the litter left out on streets or near sewers can cause pollution in oceans, lakes, and rivers which is very harmful for marine life. You can still enjoy fish, but not at such a high demand as
The 1800’s the George’s Banks off the coast of New England was very generous to the fisherman who fished the sea for a living. There was a balance between what the fisherman took and what the sea could provide. By the mid-1900 that balances began greatly to shift. Technology developed during the 1950s allowed fishermen to take in much more fish than previous years. Through continued over fishing and lack of controls in place at the time, the fish stock depleted to the point the George’s Banks could no longer support the fisherman.
Simply, overfishing depletes fish stocks. The consumer demand for fish has risen dramatically over the past decade or so, so much that fisheries are designing new and innovate ways to catch more fish, and at a faster rate to meet consumer demands. What fisheries do not realize, though, is that their removal of fish from the oceans is too great and far too fast for new fish stocks to be made. So, no mating is occurring, leaving the oceans emptier each day. If this rate continues, all fish in the ocean will be almost non-existent. Already, we are experiencing a major decline in fish population: "In 2003, a scientific report estimated that industrial fishing had reduced the number of large ocean fish to just 10 percent of their pre-industrial population. "(par.6).Overfishing brings the main consequence of decrease in the fish population. People rely on fish for survival (in some countries, fish is their only source of food), and they rely on marine life for products (goods like lipstick, petroleum jelly, make-up, etc.)
In the real world, all this comes down to two serious problems. We are losing species as well as entire ecosystems. As a result, the overall ecological unity of our oceans is under stress and at risk of collapse. The affects the fish that is at the bottom of the food chain to overpopulate. If the fish that are at the bottom of the food chain overpopulate, the food they eat will become scarce This means that the fish that is at the bottom of the food chain will become extinct or endangered because of the lack of food. Another effect of overfishing that is fishing down the food chain. That will affect the species that are at the top of the food chain because the species that are at the bottom of the food is chain are important preys to them. That’s why fishers should be aware, that if they catch too much of the fish that is at the top of the food chain it will affect the whole system of predators and preys. If the fishers catch too much of fish, that’s at the top of the food chain, it would also affect the balance of predators and
Overfishing is defined as a form of overexploitation where fish stocks are brought down to unacceptable levels. In the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s 2 yearly report (SOFIA), it states how over half of the fish stocks, worldwide, are fully exploited. Other research has shown it only takes 10-15 years of industrial fishing to obliterate a tenth of the intended specie. Overfishing causes a ripple effect that hurts the entire ecosystem. The balance of chain depends largely on the interaction between the predator and the prey. For example, if the larger fish are removed than its prey begins to overpopulate, due to the lack of population control. The balance in the oceans are a urgent problem, around 90% of predatory fish stocks are depleted. The ripples can extend even further to land creatures like
To fish or not to fish is a personal choice. The fact that the oceans are being overfished is a growing concern for individuals, organizations, and governments throughout the world. In this paper I want to discuss the effects of overfishing on the restaurant industry, and possible solutions to solve the problem. Fishing is an ongoing source of food for people around the world. In many countries it is a food staple in their everyday diet. In more modern societies eating fish has become a sensual experience, and not just for the wealthy. It hasn't been until population explosions in the last century that the demand for seafood has led to more effective fishing techniques and technologies. Now the demand for popular fish like the salmon, tuna, sea bass, cod and hoki, which is the key fish in McDonalds filet o' fish, is diving wild populations to dangerously low levels. The methods used to catch the amount of fish demanded by the industry do not leave sustainable populations in the wild. In an attempt to preserve the fish population, governments have set limits on the minimum size that may be harvested and how many of each may be taken. Boundaries have been set up saying which areas can be fished and which ones should be left alone. A number of smaller fisheries have gone out of business because of the limits imposed by the government. This leads to even less fish being harvested and brought to market. Therefore the amount and varieties of fish at markets are smaller and can cause shortages for wholesalers and restaurants. Some restaurants will no longer have the variety on their menus that they used to enjoy. If a restaurant thrives on its seafood menu they may be unable to cope with the shortages and will go out of business. In the ...
We are also catching to many fish and the fish are not able to sustain their population. There are plenty of fish on the endangered list due to over fishing and some of these fish are surprisingly commonly consumed across the United States. I’ll fill you in on the top ten: Alaskan Halibut, it’s a largest flat fish and it’s found in the North Atlantic. #2 is the Beluga Sturgeon, it’s usually consumed for its fillets and eggs that are known as “true caviar”. #3 is Acadian Redfish. #4 is Orange Rough, #5 is the Winter Skate (usually made into fishmeal or lobster bait). #6 the Bocaccio Rockfish, the most endangered in the West. #7 is the European Eel, when these juveniles are caught out at sea they have not yet spawned. #9 is the Goliath Grouper, their harvesting has been banned. #10 is the Maltese Ray, that is now only found in one area of the world, The Strait of Sicily. Most of these fish are being caught as bycatch, meaning they weren’t the intended target species. Our methods of fishing are a big contributor to this problem and bottom trawling, which is mainly used, is one of the most destructive ways to fish. Bottom trawling uses heavy nets that are dragged across the ocean floor catching everything, letting nothing escape. Simultaneously, this kind of trawling destroys reefs and habitats along the way and It could take decades to repair the damage done by bottom
Overfishing is a harmful practice, that will eventually lead to the collapse of aquatic ecosystems, if it’s not dealt with promptly. Overfishing emerges from the combination of our over consumptive society mixed with the great profits that come from hauling in a good catch. The consumers demand for fish in Japan seems to be at an increasingly high rate due to the enjoyment and cultural values that arise from sushi and other traditional dishes involving seafood. Approximately 23 percent of Japan’s protein intake comes from the ocean, and as a nation consumes 7.5 million tonnes of seafood annually. CITATION
The fishing industry has been an important one since the dawn of mankind, being a rich and reliable food source. It has changed and evolved overtime but still kept its core purpose. In the past the problem may have been catching sea life, today it is sustainability. Our population is far too high and demand too great for the industry to keep up. At this pace we will strip the oceans of its fish and be left with none. A solution is necessary, as this problem will not fix itself.
The last type is longevity overfishing, the virtual elimination of older age classes in a population such that this removal impairs recruitment, which would prevent a population from rebuilding. It is first necessary to explain how overfishing can arise in a market, then we will examine government interventions which will result in an optimal level of fishing. Finally, we will compare the policy options for individual transferable quotas and fisheries closures. People have been engaged in fisheries for thousands of years. Capital and labour have grown, which has caused the productivity to increase.
However, after becoming informed on the issue with overfishing, I understand that we need to leave the ocean alone. Fisheries make money by catching fish, and overfishing is what earns them money. However, we need to decide whether the economy is more important than the environment, or vice-versa. The next time you want to buy a wild caught salmon fillet, take the time to think. Is dining exquisitely worth destroying the world
...ing public goods present problems of their own. Many of them provide incentives to undersupply and to free-ride because of the many suppliers that are relied upon. It is seen as better off from an individual’s perspective to minimize your individual costs while maximizing your benefits that are being provided by others. The conservation of marine biodiversity is looked upon as a whole, is important to everyone and provides great benefit. However, the individual’s self-interests are always taken into account and through each and every implemented strategy and system, there will always be those that look at those self-interests. In order for the perfect preservation of marine biodiversity, individuals need to ignore the incentives of the present, that influence them to try to maximize their current profits, and focus on the possible future profits of everybody.