Comments Eli Penberthy has made

  • Shrimp Less, Think More!

    Thanks to Erik for paying attention to this important issue--we need a collective wake-up call about the consequences of our seafood choices!

    As Erik notes, ne immediate action we can take is to reduce our consumption of imported shrimp. Shrimp is the most popular seafood among Americans, but many people do not know that the prices we pay as consumers do not reflect the costs to the environment, communitities, and health. The AFL-CIO report mentioned here exposes the child labor, human trafficking, debt bondage, and other labor abuses common in the production of shrimp. Additionally, shrimp farms heavily pollute the land and waterways and are the #1 destroyer of mangrove forests, which act as nurseries for many fish and protect coastlines from erosion and storm damage. If that isn't enough to make you stop eating it, this will: imported shrimp may contain pesticides, antibiotics, and other filth, and since the FDA inspects less than 2% of imported seafood, it is likely that contaminated shrimp is reaching our plates.

    Mangrove Action Project (MAP) recently launched a consumer awareness campaign, "Shrimp Less, Think More" urging consumers to reduce their consumption of imported farmed shrimp and to instead choose local, sustainably-harvested varieties. For more information about the true costs of imported farmed shrimp, visit www.shrimpless.wordpress.com
    On The toll of the shrimping industry on Southeast Asia posted 1 year, 5 months ago 6 Responses

  • Shrimp farming is the top threat to mangroves!

    Cyclone Nargis, like tsunamis, hurricanes, and other disastrous storms, is a reality check that we cannot continue to destroy mangrove forests without devastating effects!  

    The cyclone has been attributed to development and the converstion of mangroves to rice farms, but shrimp farming is the top threat to mangrove forests worldwide.

    We are certainly paying a high price for the cheap imported shrimp available in grocery stores and on restaurant menus.  The environment and coastal communities are destroyed, and the shrimp--which may be contaminated with pesticides and antibiotics--is a threat to consumer health.

    Mangrove Action Project (MAP) recently launched an awareness campaign, "Shrimp Less, Think More," urging people to stop purchasing imported shrimp and to instead choose local and  sustainably-harvested varieties.

    As consumers, we can play a part in preventing future disasters simply by making responsible seafood choices: Always ask where your seafood came from and how it was caught. For more information, visit the campaign blog, www.shrimpless.wordpress.com or www.mangroveactionproject.orgOn Deforestation may have increased impact of devastating cyclone posted 1 year, 6 months ago 4 Responses