July 11, 2019
When you take a bite out of a juicy shrimp tail, does it come to mind the process the food underwent to arrive on your plate? Most of us will answer “no.” However, seafood is one of the main nutrition sources for three billion people on Earth.
In a recent article by Conservation International titled “Meet a scientist: The sustainable-food guru,” ASU-Conservation International, professor of practice and senior director of the blue production program for CI’s Center for Oceans, Jack Kittinger shares powerful insights on the challenges and opportunities of the seafood industry.
“Seafood is the last thing on Earth that we still hunt on a global level — everything else we cultivate or grow — so we must manage wild populations sustainably, or we simply won’t have enough food,” Kittinger explains.
In addition to the environmental threats to our oceans and seafood supply, human rights violations experienced daily by workers in the seafood industry remain a major concern. The article encourages readers to check out “Ghost Fleet” – a documentary addressing the issue of slavery of fishers and the heroes fighting to bring justice and freedom to these people.
[Image source: Conservation International/Mark Erdmann]