Green fish’s Recent Comments

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  Thanks Omega

  Huh, I guess it isn't as clear as I thought. I even managed to find some direct controversy on salmon. The reason I was so sure about my logic is due to a scientific paper I read about a year back that Pacific wild salmon have a substantially higher quantity of omega-3 than their farmed Atlantic counterparts (Pacific salmon are difficult to farm at the moment, and almost all Atlantic salmon is farmed). Pacific salmon have a higher quantity of Omega-3 FAs than almost any other kind of fish, but if we're studying the same species (as we should be to compare farmed fishing to harvesting) it doesn't make sense.

  My apologies.

  P.S. Although... according to Wiki, Science journal suggests that wild-salmon have higher omega-3 levels, now I need to do some serious research...On New report on aquaculture posted 3 years, 2 months ago 13 Responses

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  Omega discussion, and more

  Actually that's incorrect, wild fish have significantly more omega3 fatty acids. A better description is below.

  http://www.thedietchannel.com/Omega-3-Fatty-Acids.htm

  Patrick:

  To some extent I agree, but I also know that much wild caught fish (35 million tons according to David's article) goes to feeding farmed fish and livestock. Despite what logic expects much of that is not waste from processing or unintentional by-catch, but meat that is certified for human consumption and then thrown away in an environmentally damaging practice.

  Additionally, your argument also assumes that all damage to large fish has been from fishing. Like land based extinction the main cause for population decrease underwater is habitat destruction. The fishermen in our neck of the woods never had nearly as much impact on the fish as the Exxon-Valdeez oil spill, even the eruption of Mt. Redoubt in 1985 caused greater damage than the fishing industry. In the lower 48 much of the devastation is from dams.* Farmed fishing is another culprit, because farmed fish create and spread diseases to the wild fish in the region and dominate a significant part of the habitat. Unsustainable harvesting is a contributing factor to

  But, you're right, we humans do consume far more fish than we should. A sustainable amount would probably be closer to 30-50 million tons. However, calling on environmentalists to completely eschew fish is just as wrong as telling them to never eat farmed vegetables because they're environmentally damaging. The environmentalist simply needs to exert extra effort into making a conscious choice to protect the environment, whether they buy organic, locally produced vegetables, or organic, sustainable, locally harvested fish.

  *Seriously, dam based hydro-power is one of the most environmentally damaging power-sources when you look at biodiversity which is why I'm crying for China right now, they're burning their own fishing industry to the ground and killing thousands of species. When we did it we didn't know, please don't make our mistake again. You can find another way, please...On New report on aquaculture posted 3 years, 2 months ago 13 Responses

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  Wrong lesson

  Patrick: I'm not sure how you came to the conclusion that the only solution is "to not eat ocean fish." The statistics that David gave did show a substantial exploitation in wild fishing industries, but not nearly as much as farmed fishing. In farmed fishing species that can be easily bred in captivity (often invasive when the escape) are forced to live in close proximity (increasing the spread of disease), fed meat from wild caught fish and contaminated with pollutants to a far greater degree than wild fish. Additionally, the close proximity causes large waste deposits that aggravate red tide and other ocean-based breakouts.

  If you are arguing against eating fish in general, I still fail to understand. Sustainably harvesting wild fish does not significantly damage ecosystems, which is more than I can say for most farming. If we go by the logic that we should not harvest fish because it will damage the ocean, we must also follow that we must not farm because it is more damaging, and we shouldn't even think about livestock.

  I have been commercial fishing in Alaska most of my life, right now I'm doing it to pay my way through University. Our Alaska wild salmon are sustainably harvested and organic. There is a small by-catch (maybe 3% of total catch, and 90% of that is released alive). However, not all markets are as well managed and additional regulation and enforcement is needed for all wild fishing. It's a travesty that many fishermen are not willing or able to protect their resources and something must be done about it. Still, in all but the worst circumstances it's still better than any farmed fish (or livestock for that matter), both in quality, nutritious and environmental value.On New report on aquaculture posted 3 years, 2 months ago 13 Responses

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  Taking over the campus

  As the student leader of my University's environmental group, I have to say... Woohoo!

  We are working as hard as we can to change the way things are done, from ending the use of styrofoam and getting the Cafeteria to purchase only organic, to improved insulation of the buildings.

  Mind you, the uphill battle that we're fighting against administrations that place incredible value on money doesn't make life easier, but it wouldn't be much fun without a little challenge.On Colleges and universities are learning what it takes to go green posted 3 years, 2 months ago 4 Responses

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  Biking in the cold North (kinda)

  Biking, in my mind, is the greatest form of transportation and since I'm in the city I can get anywhere I need to go in under an hour, and to work in under fifteen minutes. However, the roads are unpleasant (to put it mildly). There's a short bridge I need to cross, only two narrow lanes wide with no bike lane. When I go across I have to tuck in my elbows to avoid brushing a big vehicle in the two-way traffic. But does anybody slow down? Of course not, that would be silly! Why slow down for a crazy cyclist?

  Of course there's also the biggest problem for biking regularly, Winter.

  I bike all Summer, all Spring and all Fall. Unfortunately that's only a total of about seven months here in Minnesota. Black ice and sub-zero temperatures (especially in the early morning, coincidentally also when I need to be commuting) are a great discourager for the rest of the year. I try to bike for much of the winter but the occasional -20F mornings and the freezing rain make even me call it quits.On Bicycling highs posted 3 years, 3 months ago 22 Responses